
Class_Xl/^ 
BookJZSxJki 



Cof>Yl^ 



A 

N.A R R AT I V E 

•OF THE 

ADVENTURES and SUFFERINGS, 

OF 

JOHN R. JEWITT : 

ONLY SURVIVOR OP THE CREW OP THJE 

SHIP BOSTON, 

BURISTfi A CAPTIVITT OF NEARLT THRKE TEARS AMO»fl THS S^slftEs gj^ 

NOOTKA SOUND : 

WITH AHf ACCOUNT OF THE 

MANNERS, MODE OF LIVING, AND RELlGlOt 
OPINIONS OF THE NATIVES. 



SSr^EEIISHED WITH A PEATE, REPRESEyTI.Va TUE 3i:;r j 
rOSSESSION OP THE 8ATAGE3. 



Dire scenes of horror on a^savaffe shore. 
In which, a witness sad, a pkrt I bore.'* 

....j>. t ...4.,.^.,.. 

"'x. "*' 

rniNTED BY SETH RICHARDS, 



1«15. 






Digtvtct of. Cannecticut, gg. 

I -^ BE IT REMEMBERED ; That on the eighth 

|^_ J day of March in the thirty-ninth year of the In- 

dependence of the United States of America, John 
R. Jew ITT, of the said District hath deposited in this office ^ 
the title of a Book, the right whereof he claims as proprie- 
tor, in the words following ^ to wit : 

A narrative of the adventurss and sufferings of John R, 
Jcwitt ; only survivor of the crew of the ship Boston, 
during a captivity of nearly three years among the savages 
of Nootka Sound : with an account of the manners, mode 
f/ living, and religious opinions of the natives. Emhellish' 
''4 with a plate, representing the ship in possession of the 
ivages, 

*' l>ixe scenes of horror on a savage shore, 
" In which, a witness sad, a part I bore." 

I conformity to an act of the Congress of the United 

:Aatcs, entitled, "An act for the encouragement of learning, 

-' by securing the copies of Maps, Charts and Books, to the 

'• authors and proprietors of such copies, during the times 

• therein mentioned^ 

HENRY W. EDWARDS, Clerk 

of the District of Connecticut. 

A true copy of Record, examined and sealed by me, 

HENRY W. EDWARDS, Clerk 

of \h^ District of Connecticut. 



J\'aines of the Creiv of the Ship Boston, behitging to Boston j^: 
jyiassadmsettSf oioned by Messrs. F. & T. Amoi^, JMerchants 
of that place— All of -whom excepting tivo, were on the 22nd «f 
JMavchf 1803, barbarously murdered by the savages of J^'ootka. 



Holin Salter, 
B. Uelouissa, 
William In grab am, 
Edward Thompson, 
Adam Siddle, 
Philip Bi-own, 
.lohn Dorthy, 
Abialiam V/alers, 
Francis Duffield, 



Wilson, (blackman)of Virgi 



of Boston, 
Do. 

of New-York, 

of Blvtli, (Enf^land,) 

of Hull, Do. 

of Cambridge, (Mass.) 
of Situate, Do. 

of Philadelphia, 
of Penton,(Eng,) 



Captain. 

Chief-Mate, 

Second-Mate. 

Boatswain, 

Carpenter. 

Joiner. 

Blacksmith 

Steward 

Tailor 

Cook. 

Seam&r 

Do. 

Da 

Do 

Do, 

Do. 

Do. 



William Caldwell, of Boston, 

Joseph Miner, of Newbiiryport, 

William Robinson, of I^igh, (Scotland,) 

Thomas Wilson, of Air, Do. 

Andrew Kelly, Do. Do 

Robert Burton, of the Isle of Man, 

James M*Clay, of Dublin, 

Thomas Platten, of Blakeney, Norfolk, Eng. Dc» 

Thomas Newton, of Hull, po. Do. 

Charles Bates, of St. James Deeping, Do. fki 

John Hall, of New-Castle, Do. Do 

Samuel Wood, of Glasgow, (Scotland) Do. 

Peter Alstrom, Norwegian, Do. 

Francis Marten, Portuguese, Do. 

Jupiter Senegal (blackinan) Do. 

John Thompson, Philadelphia, Sail-Makc: , 

who escaped — since dead. 
John R. Jewitt, of Boston in England, Armourer, 

the writer of the Journal from whence this Narrative is taken, 
and wlio at present, July, 1815, , resides in MiddldONvn, in the 
state of Connecticut. 



A list of Words m the Nootkian Language^ 
the most in use. 



Giieek-up, 


Man. 


Toop-helth, Cloth. 


fvlootz-mab. 


Woman. Cham-mass, Fruit. 


Noowexa, 


Father. Cham-mas- C Sweet or pleasant 
Mother, sish, (_ to the taste. 


rioomu-hexa, 


ranassis. 


Child- Moot-sus, Powder. 


Kalluhtik, 


Brother. Chee-pokes, Copper. 


Kloot.chem-up, 


Sister. Hah-welks, Hungry. 


Tanassis-check- 


np, Son.Nee-sim-mer-hise, !Knoug-h. 


Taiiassis-kloots 


•raah, Dauj^hter- Giiit-la-Yek, Knife or dagger. 


Tau-hut-se-tee, 


IIead.,Klick-er-yek, Rings. 


Kassee, 


Eyes.'Quish-ar, Smoke. 


llap-se-up, 


Hair. Mar-met-tj, Goose or dutk. 


.Xee4«a, 


Nose. 


Pook-shit-tle, To blow. 


Pui-pce, 
Chee-chee. 


Ears. 
Teeth. 


Een-a-qui.shit-tle,^^^^^^;"'^^^ 


Choop, 


Tongue. Ar-teese, To bathe. 


Kook-a-nik-sa, 


Hands. ,Ma-mook-su.lnali, To go to fish. 


Klish-kliii, 


Feet.'Ar-smootish- C . ..,„ .^ 
Sun or Moon. check-up, ^ A warrior. 


OoplieUh, 


Tar-toosc, 


Stars,'Cha-alt-see-kIatnur- 5 GoofF, or 
Sky.'wali, '^go away. 


Si.-yal,, 


i-cp-t'lUij 


Sea.'Ma-kook, To sell. 


"ha-fwik. 


Fiesli water.L . , . , ,•!* V G\\e me 
,, - ;Kah-ah-pah-chiIt, ^ , ,\ • ^ 

liain. » ' ^sOiTielbing. 


O'tecce, 


Snow. 


Oo-nah, How many. 


;')Vc!tec, Mounlain or hill 


!-yuh-ish, Much. 


,'-liir-miss, 


Earth. 


Kom-me-tak, I undersrtr.nd. 


■.k-sec. 


Firccr fuel. 
IJock. 


r > 1- ^I <^o not nr.der- 
r-yee-ma.hak,|^^^^j 


.-ka-tec, 


House. 


Em-ma-chap, To play. 


'J 


No. 


Kle-w]):tr, ' To Uugh. 


-no, 
Kaic-koeKh, 


Yes. 
Slave. 


M ac-ka w -> ^^ ^^^^^ ^^ t 
mah-sjsh, S -^ 


>Iah-hack, 


Whale. Kah-ah-coh, Bring it. 


.Klu.ck-!"-miss, 


Oil. 


Sah-wauk, One. 


Qiiart-lak, 


Sea-otter. 


Att-la, Two. 


Coo-cob'ho-sa^ 


Seal 


Kat-sa, Three. 


Moo-watch, 


Bear 


Mooh, Four. 


«Jo-har, 


Salmon 


Soo-chah, Five. 


Toofch-qv^.n, 


Cod 


Xoo-poo, Six. 


Vo^'-'^e, 


Halibut 


At-tle-poo, Seven , 


Kloos-a-mit, 


Herring 


.Vt-lah-quelth, Eight. 


€hnp-itz. 


Cance 


Saw-wauk-queltlf, Nine. 


Go wha-pa, 


Paddle 


My-o, Ten 


Vj!iec-ine-na, 


A fish-hook. 


3ak-aitz, Twenty. 


CHce-rnen, 


Fish-hook.- 


3oo-ie\vk, One hundrc: 


^i'-Iv-a-minny, 


Jr^n. 


Hv-e-oak, Ov.t thou«ar 



NARRATIVE 



OF 



JOHN R. JEWITT, 



I WAS born in Boston, a considerable 
borough town in Lincolnshire, in Great-Bri- 
tain, on the 21st of May, 1783. My father, 
Edward Jewitt, was by trade a blacksmitb, 
and esteemed among the first in his line 
of business in that place. At the age « f 
three years I had the misfortune to lose m;/ * 
mother, a most excellent woman, who died 
in childbed, leaving an infant daiigh tetj who,, 
with myself, and an elder brother by a for- 
mer marriage of my father coristttqted the ^ 
whole of our family. My father, who con- <^ 
sidered a good education a« the greatest 
blessing he could bestow on his children, 
was very particular in paying every, atten- 
tion to us in that respect, always exhorting 
us to behave well, and endeavouring to im- 
press on our minds the principles of virtuf: 
md morality, and no expense in his power 
was^ spared to have us instructed ui whatev- 
er: might render us useful and respectable 
ftii .society- My brother, , who was four 
^^^ivs v^klpr than myself, and '^^ ^ r^^r^,^r- 
A !2 



6 

hardy constitution, he destined for iiis own 
trade, but to me he had resolved to give an 
education superior to that which is to be ob- 
tained in a common school, it being his in- 
tention that I should adopt one of the learn- 
ed professions. Accordingly at the age of 
twelve he took me from the school in which 
I had been taught the first rudiments of 
learning, and placed me under the care of 
Mr. Moses, a celebrated teacher of an acad- 
ciiiy at Donnington, about twenty miles 
from Boston, in order to be instructed in the 
Latin language, and in some of the higher 
branches of the Mathematics. I there made 

^^Oijsid^^rable proficiency in writing, reading, 
and arithmetic, and obtained a pretty good 
knowledge of navigation and of survey- 
ing ; but my progress in Latin was slow, 
not only owing to the little inclination I 
felt for learning that language, but to a na- 
tural impediment in my speech, which ren- 
dered it extremely difficult for me to pro- 
nounce it, so that in a short time, with my 
father's consent, I wholly relinquished the 
study. 

The period of my stay at this place w^s 
the most happy of my life. My preceptor, 

•Mr. Moses, was not only a learned, but a 
virtuous, benevolent, and amiable man, uni- 
verr ally beloved by his pupils, who t^ofc Re- 
light in his instruction, and to whx)m fee^l- 
lowed every proper amusement, th# <^n- 
'sisted with attention to their studies. 



' One of the principal pleas^ires I enjoyerf 
was in attending the fair, which is regularly 
held twice a year at Donnington, in the 
spring and in the fall ; the second day be- 
ing wholly devoted to selling horses, a pro- 
digious number of which are brought thith- 
er for that purpose. As the scholars on 
these occasions were always indulged with a 
holiday, I cannot express with what eager- 
ness of youthful expectation I used to anti- 
cipate these fairs, nor what delight I felt at 
the various shows, exhibitions of wild beiasts, 
and other entertainments that they present- 
ed. I was frequently visited by my father, 
who always discovered much joy on seeing 
me, praised me for my acquiiements; and 
usually left me a small sum for my pocket 
expenses. 

Among the scholars at this academy, tfere 
was one named Charles Rice, with whom I 
formed a particular intimacy, which contin- 
ued during the whole of my stay. He was 
my class and room mate, and as the town 
he came from, Ashby, was more than sixty 
miles off, instead of returning home, he used 
frequently during the vacation, to go with 
me to Boston, where he always met with a 
corral welcome from my father, who receiv- 
ed Me on these occasions with the greatest 
affection, apparently taking much pride in 
mtv^X My friend in return used to take me 

itbijim to an uncle of his in Donnington. ?^ 



very wealthy man, who, havin.o: no children 
of his own, was very fonH of his nephew, and 
on his account I was always a welcome visit- 
or at the house. I had a good voice, and an 
ear for music, to which I was alwavs passion- 
ately attached, though my father endeavour- 
ed to discourage this propensity, considering 
it, (as is too frequently the case) but an in- 
troduction to a life of idleness and dissipa-^ 
tion, and having been remarked for my sing- 
ing at church, which was regularly attended 
on Sundays and Festival days by the schol- 
ars, Mr. Morfrhrop, my friend Rice's uncle,, 
used frequently to request me to sing ; he 
was always pleased with ray exhibitions of 
this kind, and it was no doubt one of the 
means that secured me so gracious a recep- 
tion at his house. A number of other gen- 
tlemen in the place would sometimes send for 
me to sing at their houses, and as I was not 

little vain of my vocal powers, I wasmucb 
gratified on receiving these invitations, and 
accepted them with the greatest pleasure. 

Thus passed away the two happiest years 
of my life, when my father, thinking that I 
had received a sufficient education for the 
profession he intended me for, took me 
from school at Ronningtou in order to ap- 
prentice me to Doctor Mason, a surgeQo of 
eminence at Reasby, in the neighbourteod 
of the celebrated Sir Joseph *Banks. With 
regret did I part from ray school acaiiain 



tance, particularly my friend Rice and re- 
returned home with my father, on a short 
visit to my family, preparatory to my in- 
tended apprenticeship. The disinx:lination I 
ever had felt for the profession my father 
A?ished me to pursue, was still further in- 
creased on my return. When a child I was 
always fond of being in the shop, among the 
workmen, endeavouring to imitate what I 
saw them do ; this disposition so far in- 
creased after my leaving the academy, that I 
could not bear to hear the least mention 
made of my being apprenticed to a surgeon, 
and 1 used so many intreaties with my ia 
ther to persuade him to give up this plai? 
and learn me his own trade, that he at las! 
consented. More fortunate would it probo 
bly have been for me, had I gratified i\h 
wishes of this affectionate parent, in adop 
ting the profession he had chosen for me, 
than thus induced him to sacrifice them to 
mine. However it might have been, I was 
at length introduced into the shop, and my 
natural turn of mind corresponding with the 
employment, I became in a short time un- 
commonly expert at the work to which I 
was set. 1 now felt myself well contented, 
pleased with my occupation, and treated 
with much affection bygpy father and kind- 
less by my step-moth erf my father having 
i)cc more e^itered the state of matrimony^ 
^i:]!^ ti wiil'OAV much younger than himself 



to 

who had been brought up in a superior man 
ner, and was an amiable and sensible wo- 
man. 

About a year after I had commenced thife 
apprenticeship, my father finding that he 
could carry on his business to more advan- 
tage in Hull, removed thither with his fami- 
ly. An event of no little importance to me, 
as it in a great measure influenced my fu- 
ture destiny. Hull being one of the best 
ports in England, and a place of great trade, 
my father had there full employment for 
his numerous workmen, particularly in ves- 
sel work. This naturally leading me to an 
^^icquaintance with the sailors on board some 

'--^f the sliips, the many remarkable stories 
•fhey told me of their voyages and adven- 
6ifes, and of the manners and customs of 
the nations they had seen, excited a strong 
wisti in me to visit foreign countries, which 
was encreased by my reading the voyages 
of Capt. Cook, and some other celebrated 
navigators. 

Thus passed the four years that I lived at 
Hull, where my father, was esteemed by all 
who knew him, as a worthy, industrious, and 
thriving man. At this period a circum- 
stance occurred which afforded me the op- 

^rtunity I had foripne time wished, of gr*^ 
tidying my inclination of going abroad. ^ ' 
Among our principal customers at H^tf^ 
were the Americans who frequented tto 



11 

port, and from whose conversation, my 
father as well as myself formed the most fa- 
vorable opinion of that country, as affording 
an excellent field for the exertions of indus- 
try, and a flattering prospect for the estab- 
lishment of a young man in life. In the 
summer of the year 1802, during the peace 
between England and France, the ship Bos- 
ton, belonging to Boston, iu Massachusetts, 
and commanded by Capt. John Salter, ar- 
rived at Hull, whither she came to take on 
board a cargo of such goods as were want- 
ed for the trade, with the Indians on the 
North- West coast of America, from whence, 
after having takea in a lading of furs and 
skins, she was to proceed to China, and from 
thence home to America. The ship, having 
occasion for many repairs and alterations, ne- 
cessary for so long a voyage, the captain ap- 
plied to my father to do the smith work, 
which was very considerable. That gentle- 
man, who was of a social turn, used often to 
call at my father's house, where he passed 
many of bis evenings, with his chief and se- 
cond mates, Mr. B. Delouisa, and Mr> Wil- 
liam Ingraham, the latter a fine young man 
of about twenty, of a most amiable temper, 
and of such afl'able mani^rs, as gained him 
the love and attachment «r our whole crew. 
iThese cjentlemen used occasionally to take 
me with them to the theatre, an amusement 
wlBCJJiJ was very fond of, and which my fa 



12 

Iher rather encouraged than objected to, as 
he thought it a good means of preventing 
young men who are naturally inclined to 
seek for something to amuse them, from 
frequenting taverns, ale houses, and places 
of bad resort, equally destructive of the 
health and morals, vi^hile the stage treqwently 
furnishes excellent lessons of morality and 
good conduct. 

In the evenings that he passed at my fa- 
ther's Captain Saltar, who had for a great 
number of years been at sea, and seen al- 
most all parts of the world, used sometimes 
to speak of his voyages, and observing me 
listen with much attention to his relations, 
he one day when I had brought him some 
work^ said to me in rather a jocose manner, 
John, how should you like to go with me ? 
[ answered that it would give me grest plea- 
sure, that I had for a long time wished to 
visit foreign countries, particularly America, 
which I had been told so many fine stories 
of, and that if my father wouJd give his 
consent and he was willing to take me with 
him, I would go. I shall be very glad to do 
it, said he if your father can be prevailed on 
to let you go, and as T want an expert smith 
for an armourer, Jke one I have shipped for 
that purpose noroeing sufficiently master 
of his trade, I have no doubt that you will 
answer my turn well, as T perceive you are 
both active and ingenious, and on my re- 



ttirn to America, I shall probably be able to 
tlo something tnuch better for > on in Bos» 
ton ; I will take the first opportunity of speak- 
ing to your father about it, and try to per- 
suade him to consent. He accordingly the 
next evening that he called at our house in 
troduced the subject: my father at first would 
not listen to the proposal. That best of pa- 
rents, though anxious for my advantageous 
establishment in life, could not bear to think 
of parting with me, but on Capt. Salter's 
telling him of what benefit it would be to me 
to go the voyage with him, and that it was 
a pity to keep a promising and ingenious 
young fellow% like myself, confined to a small 
shop in England, when if I had tolerable 
success, 1 might do so much better in Ame- 
rica, where wages were much higher an 1 
living cheaper, he at length gave up ,his ol' 
jections and consented that I should ship on 
board tire Boston as an armourer, at the rate 
of thirty dollars per month ; with an agree- 
ment that the amount due ine, together witi; 
a certain sum of money which my father gave 
Capt. Salter for that purpose, should be laid 
out by ^'iip on the North-West Coast in the 
purchase of furs on my account, to be dis- 
posed of in China for such goods as woldd 
yield a profit on the return of the ship ; my 
father being solicitous to give me every ad - 
yaiidtage in his power, of well establish in,-; 
myself in my trade in Boston or some othei 

B ' ' 



14 

uiaritiine town of America. Such were the 
flattering expectations which this good man 
iiidulged respecting me. Alas! the fatal dis- 
aster that befel us, not only blasted all these 
hopes, but involved me in extreme distress 
and wretchedness for a long period after. 

The ship having undergone a thorough re- 
pair and been well coppered, proceeded to 
take on board her cargo, which consisted of 
English cloths, Dutch blankets, looking 
glasses, beads, knives, razors, &c. which 
were received from Holland, some sugar 
and molasses, about twenty hogsheads of 
urn, including stores for the ship, a great 
(uantity of ammunition, cutlasses, pistols, 
and three thousand muskets and fowling 
pieces. The ship being loaded and ready 
for sea, as I was preparing for my departure, 
\WY father came to me, and taking me aside, 
said to me with much emotion, John, I am 
now going to part with you, and heaven on- 
ly knows if we shall ever again meet. But 
a whatever part of the world you are, al- 
V ays bear it in mind, that on your own con- 
duct will depend your success in life. Be 
lionest, industrious, frugal, and temperate, 
and you will not fail, in whatsoever country 
it may be your lot to be placed, to gain 
yourself friends. -^ Let the Bible be your 
gtiide, and your reliance in any fortune, thai 
may befal you that Almighty Being, whr 
knows how to bring forth good from e^il 



u 

and who never deserts those who put their 
trust in him. He repeated his exhortations 
to me to lead an honest and a christian life, 
and to recol^ct that I had a father, a moth- 
er, a brother, and sister, who could not but 
feel a strong interest in my welfare, enjoin- 
ing me to write him by the first opportunity 
that should offer to England, from whatevei 
part of the w^orld I might be in, more parti- 
cularly on my arrival in Boston. This i 
promised to do, but long unhappily was it 
before I was able to fuliil this promise. I 
then took an affectionate leave of my wor- 
thy parent, whose feelings, would hardly 
permit him to speak, and bidding an affec- 
tionate farewell to my brother, sister, and 
step-mother, who expressed the greatest so- 
licitude for my future fortune, went on board 
the ship, which proceeded to the ©dNVUs t^> 
be ready for the first favourable wind, f 
found myself well accommodated on board 
as regarded my work, an iron forge having 
been erected on deck ; this my father had 
made for the ship on a new plan, for which 
he afterwards obtained a patent ; w])il€ a 
corner of the steerage was appropriated to 
my vice bench, so that in bad weather I 
»,^ould work below. 

On the third day of September, 1802, wc 
viled from the Downs with a fair wind, in 
ompany with twenty-four sail of Atnerican 
ve5j$fe3s, most oi^ which were bound home. 



m 

I was sea-sick for a few of the first day?, 
but it was of short continuance^ and on my 
recovery I found myself in uncommonly fine 
health and spirits, and went to work with 
alacrity at my forge, in putting m order some 
of the muskets, and making daggers, knives, 
and small hatchets for the Indian trade, 
while in wet and stormy weather I was oc- 
onpied below in filing and polishing them. 
Tliis was my employment, having but little 
to do with sailing the vessel, though I used 
occasionally to lend a hand in assisting the 
:seamen in taking in and making sail. As I 
had never before been out of sight of land, 
(cannot describe my sensations, after I had 
recovered from the distressing effects of sea- 
ickness, on viewing the mighty ocean by 
vhich I was surrounded, bounded only by 
he sky ; Avhile its waves rising in mountains, 
eenK'd every moment to threaten our ruin. 
■ lanifest as is the hand of Providence in 
i eserving its creatures from destruction, in 
no instance is it more so than on the great 
deep ; for whether w^ consider in its tu- 
uultuary motions the watry deluge that each 
moment menaces to overwhelm us, the im- 
mense violence of its shocks, the little that 
interposes between us and death, a singly 
;.!ank forming our only security, >vhich 
hould it unfortunately be loosened woiik! 
plunge us at once into the abyss, our grati 
tnde ought strongly to be excited toward^ 



17 

that superintending Deity who in so won- 
derful a manner sustains our lives amid the 
waves. ' 

We had a pleasant and favorable passage' 

^ of tvi^enty-nine days to the Island of St. Ca- 
therine on the coast of Brazils, where the 
Captain had determined to stop for a few 
days to wood and water. This place be- 
longs to the Portuguese. On entering the 
harbor we were saluted by the fort which we 
returned. The next day the Governor of the 
Island came on board of us with his suite ; 
Captain Salter received him with much res- 
pect and invited him to dine with him, which 
he accepted. The ship remained at St. Ca- 
tharine's four days, during which time, we 
were busily employed in taking in wood, wa- 
ter, and fresh provisions. Captain Salter 
thinking it best to furnish himself here with 
a full supply for his voyage to the North- 
West coast, so as not to be obliged to stop- 
at the Sandwich Islands. St. Catharine is 
a very commodious place for vessels to stop, 
at that are bound refund Cape Horn, as it 
abounds #ith springs of fine water, with ex-^ 
cellent oranges, plantains, and bananas. 

Having 'Qg^Uipleted our stores we put to: 
sp-, and on the twenty-fifth of December at 

^gth passed Cape Horn, which we had 
made no less than thirty-six days before, but 
repeatedly forced back by contrary 
B 2 



18 

winds, experiencing very rough and tempest 
tuous weather in doubling it. 

Immediately after passing Cape Horn, all 
our dangers and difficulties seemed to be at 
an end ; the weather became fine and so 
little labour was necessary on board the ship 
that the men soon recovered from their fa- 
tigue and were in excellent spirits. A few 
days after we fell in with an English South 
Sea Whaling Ship, homeward bound, which 
was the only vessel we spoke with on our 
voyage. AVe now took the trade wind or 
lionsoon, during which we enjoyed the fin- 
est weather possible, so that for the space 
of a fortnight we were not obliged to reeve 
I topsail or to make a tack, and so light was 
the duty and easy the life of the sailors dur- 
ng this time, that they appeared the happi- 
st of any people in the world. 
. Captain Salter, who had been for many 
years in the East- India trade, was a most 
ixcellent seaman, and preserved the strict- 
est order and discipline on board his ship, 
ihough he was a man of mild temper and 
conciliating manners, and disposed to allow 
r^very indulgence to his meny not inconsistent 
vith their duty. We had on board a fine 
band of music, with which on Saturday 
iiights, when the weather was pleasant, w# 
were accustomed to be regaled, the Captain 
ordering them to play for several hours* for 
the amusement of the crew. This to me 



» 19 

was most delightful, especially during the 
serene evenintjs we experienced in traversing 
the Southern Ocean. As for myself, during 
the day I was constantly occupied at my 
forge, in re-fitting or repairing some of the 
iron work of the vessel, but principally in 
making tomahawks, daggers, &c. for the 
North AVest coast. 

During the first part of our voyage we 
saw scarcely any fish, excepting some 
whales, a few sharks, and flying fish ; but 
after weathering Cape Horn we met with 
numerous shoals of sea porpoises, several of 
whom we caught, and as we had been for 
some time without fresh provisions, I found 
it not only a palatable but really a very ex- 
cellent food. To one who has never before 
seen them, a shoal of these fish presents a 
very striking and singuTar appearance ; be- 
held at a distance coming towards a vessel 
they look not unlike a great number of small 
black waves rolling over one another in a 
confused manner and approaching with great 
swiftness. As soon as a shoal is seen all ii? 
bustle and activity on board the ship, the 
grains and the narpoons are immediately got 
ready, and those who are best skilled in 
throwing them take their stand at the bow 
and along the gunwale anxiously awaiting 
, the welcome troop as they come gamboling 
snd blowing around the vessel, in search of 
food. When pierced with the harpoon ayd 



20 I 

drawn on board, unless the fish is instantly 
killed by the stroke, which rarely happens, 
it utters most pitiful cries, g;reatly resembling 
those of an infant. The flesh cut into steaks 
and broiled, is not unlike very coarse beef, 
and tbe harslet in appearance and taste is so 
much like that of a hog, that it would be 
no easy^ matter to distinguish the one from 
the other ; from this circumstance the sai- 
lors have given the name of the herring hog 
to this fish ; 1 was told by some of the crew, 
that if one of them happens to free itself 
from the grains or harpoons, when struck, 
all the others, attracted by the blood, im- 
itjed lately quit the ship and give chace to 
the wounded one, and as soon as they over- 
take it immediately tear it in pieces. We 
also caught a large shark, which had follow- 
ed the ship for several days with a hook 
w^hich I made for the purpose, and al« 
though the flesh was by no means equal to 
that of the herring hog, yet to those desti- 
tute as we were of any thing fresh, I found 
it eat very well. After passing the Cape 
when the sea had become cajju we saw great 
numbers of Albatrosses, a large brown and 
white bird of the goose kini|, one of which 
Captain Salter shot, whose wings measured 
from their extremities fifteen feet. One 
thing, however, I must not omit mentioning, 
as it struck me in a most lingular and ex 
traordinary manoer. This was, that o»? 



21 

passing Cape Horn in December, wliicli was 
mid summer in that climate, the nights were 
so light, without any moon, that we found 
no difficulty whatever in reading small 
print which we frequently did during our 
watches. 

In this manner, with a fair wind and easy 
weather from the 28th of December, the pe- 
riod of our passing Cape Horn, we pursued 
our voyage to the Northward until the 12th 
of March, 1803, when we made Woody Point 
in Nootka Sound on the North West Coast 
of America. We immediately stood up the 
Sound for Nootka, where Captain Salter had 
determined to stop, in order to supply the 
ship with wood and water before proceeding 
up the coast to trade. But in order to avoif! 

to his men from the Indians, while thus etth- 
ployed, he proceeded with .the ship about five 
miles to the Northward of the village, which 
is situated on Friendly Cove and sent out 
his chief mate with s^eral of the crew in 
the boat to fi'id a good place for anchoring 
Jier. — After souinpRing for some time they re- 
turned with information that they had dis- 
covered a secure place for anchorage, on the 
Western side of an inlet or small bay at about 
half a mile from the coast, near a small isb 
and which protected it from the sea, and 
where there was a plenty of ivood and excel- 
4.ertt >yat«r. The ship ^accordingly came to ' 



22 

anchor in this place, at twelve o'clock at 
night, in twelve fathom water, muddy bottom, 
and so near the shore that to prevent the ship 
from winding we secured her by a hauser to 
the trees. On the morning of the next day, 
the thirteenth, several of the natives came on 
board in a canoe from the village of Nootka, 
with their king, called Maqnina, who ap- 
peared much pleased on seeing us, and with 
great seeming cordiality, welcomed Capt 
Salter and his officers to his country. As I 
had never before beheld a savage of any na- 
tion, it may readily be supposed that the nov- 
elty of their appearance, so different from any 
people that I had hitherto seen, excited in 
me strong feelings of surprize and curiosity. 
I was, however, particularly struck with the 

r..*» ^J i: -xxixtir &iw^^ WHO w*i£3 XI iliUr: •..?i u v»;^ 

mned aspect, about six feet in heighth and 
extremely strait and well proportioned ; his 
features were in general good and his face 
was rendered remarkable by a large Roman 
nosej a very uncommon form of feature 
among these people ; his complexion was of 
a dark copper hue, though fiis face, legs, and 
arms were on this occasion, so covered with 
red paint, that their natural colour could 
scarcely be perceived, his eye-brows were 
paintt^d black in two broad stripes like # 
new moon, and his long black hair, w^hirh'; 
shone with oil, was fastened in a bunch c > 
the top of his head and strewed or powdc^ 



2^ 

ed all over with white down, which gavt 
him a most curious and extraordinary ap- 
pearance. He was dressed in a large man- 
tle or cloak of the black sea otter skin, 
which reached to his knees, and was fasten- 
ed around his middle by a broad belt of the 
cloth of the country, wrought, or painted 
with figures of several colours ; this dress 
was by no means unbecoming, but on the 
contrary had an air of savage magnificence. 
His men were habited in mantles of the 
same cloth, which is made from the bark of 
a tree, and has some resemblance to straw 
matting, these are nearly square and have 
two holes in the upper part large enough to 
admit the arras— they reach as low as the 
knees and are fastened around their bodies 
with a belt about four inches broad of the 
same cloth. 

From his having frequently visited the 
English and American ships that traded to 
the coast, Maquina had learned the signifi- 
cation of a number of English words, and in 
general could make himself pretty well un- 
derstood by us in our om n language He 
was always the first to go on board such 
ships as came to Nootka, which he was 
much pleased in visiting, even when he had 
no trade to oflfer, as he almost always receiv- 
ed some small present, and was in gen<^ral 
extremely wdl treated by the commandWs; 
Ue a-emamed on boaf d of us for some thm^ 



24 

during which the captain took him into the 
cabin and treated him with a glass of rum ; 
these people being very fond of distilled spi- 
rits, and some biscuit and molasses which 
they prefer to any kind of food that we can 
offer them. 

As there are seldom many furs to be pur- 
chased at this place aiwl it was not fully the 
season, Capt. Salter had put in here not so 
much with an expectation of trading as to 
procure an ample stock of wood and water 
ibr the supply of the ship on the coast, think- 
ing it more prudent to take it on board at 
Nootka, from the generally friendly disposi- 
tion of the people, than to endanger the safe- 
ty ojf his men in sending them on shore for 
that purpose among the rjiore ferocious na- 
tivies of the north. With this view, we im- 
plied lately set about getting our water casks 
in I'eadiness, and the next and two succeed- 
ing days part of the crew were sent on shore 
to cut pine timber and assist the carpenter 
in ruaking it into yards and ^pars for the ship, 
while those on board were employed in re- 
fitting the rigging, repairing the sails, &c. 
when we proceeded to take in our wood and 
water as expeditiously as possible, during 
which time I kept myself busily employed 
in repairing the muskets, making knives, 
tomaxes, &c. and doing such iron work a^ 
was wanted for the ship. Meantime mori 
or less of the natives came on board of u 



daily, bringing with than fresh salmon with 
which they supplied us in great plenty, re- 
ceiving in return some trifling articles. Capt. 
Salter was always very particular before ad- 
mitting these people on board to see that they 
had no arms about them, by obliging them in- 
discriminately to throw ofl'their garments, so 
that he felt perfectly secure from any attack. 
On the fifteenth the king came on board 
with several of his chiefs ; he was dressed 
as before in his magnificent otter skin robe, 
having his face highly painted, and his hair 
tossed off^ with the white down which lookr 
ed like snow; his chiefs were dressed in 
mantles of the country cloth of its natural 
colour, which is a pale yellow ; these were 
ornamented with a broad border painted or 
wrought in figures of several colours repre- 
senting men's heads, various animals, &c. 
and secured around them by a belt like that 
of the king fromw hich it was distinguished 
only by being narrower: the dress of the 
common people is of the same fashion and 
differs from that of the chiefs in being of a 
coarser texture and painted red, of one uni- 
form colour. 

Captain Salter invited Maquina and his 
chiefs to dme with him, and it was curious 
to see how these people (when they eat) seat 
themselves (in their country fashion upofi 
oar chairs) with their feet under them cros^ 
sect, like Turks. They cannot endure tl^e 
C • 



taste of salt, and the only thing they would 
eat with us was the ship bread which they 
were very fond of especially when dipped in 
molasses, they had also a great liking for tea 
and coffee when well sweetened. As iron 
weapons and tools of almost every kind are 
in much request among them, whenever they 
came on Loojd they were alays very at- 
tentive to me, crowding around me at the 
forge, as if to see in what manner I did my 
work, and in this way became quite familiar, 
a circumstance, as will be seen in the end, 
of great importance to me. The salmon 
which they brought us furnished a most de- 
Ucious treat to men who for a long time had 
lived wholly on salt provisions excepting 
such few sea fish as we had the good fortune 
occasionally to take. We indeed feasted 
most luxuriously, and flattered ourselves 
that we should not want while on the coast 
for plenty of fresh provisions, little imagin- 
ing the fate that awaited us, and that this 
dainty food was to prove the unfortunate lure 
to. our destruction ! On the nineteenth, the 
king came again on board and was invited 
hv the Captain to dine with him. He had 
much conversation with Capt. Salter, and 
informed him that there were plenty of wild 
Jucks and geese near Friendly Cove, on 
vvhich the Captain made him a present of a 
louble-barreled fowling piece with which In 
8 ppeared to be greatly pleaded aad ^oon uf- 
t er went on shore? 



27 

On the 20th we were nearly ready for om 
departure, having taken in what wood and 
water we were in want of. 

The next day Maquina came on board 
with nine pair of wild ducks, as a present, 
at the same time he brought with him the 
gun one of the locks of which lig had brok- 
en, telling the Captain that it was pesliak^ 
that is bad ; Capt. Salter v>^as very much of- 
fended at this observation, and considering 
it as a mark of contempt for his present, he 
called the king a liar, adding other oppro- 
brious terms, and taking the gun from him 
tossed it indignantly into the cabin and cal- 
ling me to him said, •* John, this fellow has 
brokap this beautiful fowling piece, see if 
you can mend it :' on exaraing it 1 told him 
that it could be done. — As 1 have already 
observed, Maquina knew a number of Eng- 
lish words, and unfortunately understood but 
too well the meaning of the reproachful 
terms that the Captain addressed to him. — 
He said not a word in reply, but his counte- 
nance sufficiently expressed the rage he felt, 
though he exerted himself to suppress it, and 
1 observed him while the Captain was speak- 
ing repeatedly put his hand to his throat and 
'^fnb it upon his bosom, which he afterwards 
Hlpld me was to keep down his heart which 
was rising into his throat and cboaking him, 
ilejsoon after went on sliore with his^^-ttjen, 
evidently much discomposed. 



26 

* On the morning of the 22d the natives 
ame off to us as usual with salmon, and re-^ 
inained on board, when about noon Maqui- 
na cauie along side with a considerable num- 
ber of his chiefs and men in their canoes, 
who, after going through the customary ex-' 
amination ^ere admitted into the ship. He 
liad a whistle in his hand, and over his face 
a very ugly mask of wood representing the 
bead of some wild beast, appeared to be re- 
markably good humoured and gay, and 
whilst his people sung and capered about the 
deck, entertaining us with a variety of an- 
tic tricks and gestures, he blew his whistle 
to a kind of tune which seemed to regulate 
ilbeir motions. As Capt. Salter waj^walk- 
iiig on tlie quarter deck amusing bimself with 
their dancing, the king came up to him aad 
enquired when he intended to go to sea ?^^^ 
he Answered, to-morrow. — Maquina then 
.^aid, I you love salmon — much in Friendly 
Cove, why not go then and catch some ?' — 
The Captain thought that it would be very 
desirable to have a good supply of these fish 
for the voyage, and on consulting with Mr. 
Delonisa it was agreed to send part of the 
crew on shore after dinner with the seine ijj 
order to procure a quantity — Maquina and 
his chiefs staid and dined onboard, and after 
dinner the chief n^te went off witli nine 
Uifeu in the jolly boat and yawl to fish at 
Friendly Cove, having set the steward oil 



29 

I shore at our watering place to wash the cap^ 
tain's clothes. Shortly after the departure 
of the boats I went down to my \ice bench 
in the steerage, where I was employed in 
cleaning muskets. I had not been there 
more than an hour when I heard the men 
hoisting in the long boat, which, in a few min- 
utes after, was succeeded by a great bustle 
and confusion on deck. I immediately ran 
up the steerage stairs, but scarcely was my 
head above deck, when I was caught by the 
hair by one of the savages, and lifted from 
my feet ; fortunately for me, my hair being 
short, aud the ribbon with which it was tied 
slipping, I fell from his hold into the steerage. 
As I was tailing, he struck at me with an axe, 
which cut a deep gash in my forehead, and 
penetrated the skull, but in consequence. of 
hj^Iosing his hold, I luckily escaped the full 
force of the blow ; which, otherwise, would 
have cleft my head in tvvo. I fell, stunned 
and senseless upon the floor — how lon^ I 
continued in this situation I know not, but 
on recovering my senses the first thing that 1 
did, was to try to get up ; but so weak was 
I, from the loss of blood, that 1 fainted and 
fell. I was however soon recalled to my re- 
collection by three loud shouts or yells from 
fhe savages, which convinced me that they 
had got possession of the ship. It is impos- 
^i^}f for me to describeifty feelings at tiiis 
I'V^vVi't^^ ^^nnd. — Some faint idea mav he for- 
c 2- 



30 

med of them by those who have known what 
it is to half waken from a hideous dream and 
still think it real. Never, no, never, shall I 
Jose from my mind, the impression of that 
dreadful moment. I expected every instant 
to share the wretched fate of my unfortunate 
companions, and when I heard the song of 
triumph, by which these infernal yells was 
succeeded, my blood ran cold in my veins. 
Having at length sufficiently recovered my 
senses to look around me after wiping the 
blood from my eyes, I saw that the hatch of 
the steerage w^as shut. This was done, as 
I afterwards discovered, by order of Ma- 
quina, who, on seeing the savage strike at 
me with the axe, told him not to hurt me, 
for that I was the armourer, and would be 
ijiseful to them in repairing their arms ; while 
at the same time to prevent any of his iil^h 
feom injuring me, h^ had the hatch closed^ 
But to me this circumstance wore a very dif- 
ferent appearance, for I thought that these 
barbarians had only prolonged my life in or- 
der to deprive me of it by the most cruel tor- 
tures. I remained in this horrid state of 
suspence for a very long time, when at length 
the hatch was opened, and Maquina, calling 
me fay name, ordered me to come up. I 
groped my way up as well as I was able, 
being almost Ijlin^ed with the blood that 
flowed from my wound, and so weak a« with 
difficulty to w alk. The king, on pefceiviE^ 



ai 

^tny situation, ordered one of his men to bring 
a pot of water to wash the blood from m 
face, which having done, I was able to see 
distinctly with one of my eyes, but the oth- 
er was so swollen from my wound, that it was 
closed. But what a terrific spectacle met 
ray eyes ; six naked savages, standing in a 
circle around me, covered with the blood of 
my murdered comrades, with their daggers 
uplifted in their hands, prepared to strike. 
I now thought my last moment li«d come, 
and recommended my soul to my Maker. — 
The king, who, as 1 have already observed, 
knew enough of English to make himself 
understood, entered the circle, and placing 
himself before me, addressed me nearly in 
the following words — " John — I speak— 
you no say no — You say no — -daggers 
coifte !" He then asked me if I \\o\M be 
his slave during my life — If I would fight 
for him in his battles — If I would repair his 
muskets and make daggers and knives for 
him — with several other questions, to all of 
which I was careful to answer, yes. He then 
told me that he would spare my life, and or- 
dered me to kiss his hands and feet to show 
my submission to him, which I did— In the 
m^ean time his people were very clamorous 
to have me put to death, so that there should 
be none of us left to tell pur story to pur 
co^Bhtrymen and prevent them from conning 
to Ir^de tvith them; but the king, in the 



32 

most determined manner opposed their wish- 
es, atid to his favour am I wholly indebted 
for my being yet among the hving. As I 
was busy at work at the time of the attack, 
I was without my coat, and what with the 
coldness of the weather, my feebleness from 
loss of blood, the pain of my wound and the 
extreme agitation and terror that I still felt, 
I shook like a leaf, which the king observ- 
ing, went into the cabin and bringing up a 
,^reat coat that belonged to the captain, threw 
It over my shoulders, telling me to drink some 
ruiD from a bottle which he handed me at 
the same time, giving me to understand that 
it would be good for me and keep me from 
trembling as I did. I took a draught of it,, 
after which, taking me by the hand, he led 
me to the quarter deck, where the most hor- 
rid sight presented itself that ever my eyes 
witnessed — the heads of our unfortunate 
Captain and his crew, to the number of twen- 
ty-five, were all arranged in a line, and Ma- 
quina ordering one of his people to bring a 
head, asked me whose it was : I answered, 
the Captain's ; in like manner the others 
were shewed me, and I told him the names, 
excepting' a few that were so hoi ribly man- 
gled that I was not able to recognize them, 
I now discovered that all our unfortunate 
crew had been massacred, and learned that 
after getting possession of the ship, the sava- 
g;es had broke^ open the arm chest and ms^9. 



33 

zine, and supplying themselves with ammu- 
nition and arras, sent a party on shore to at- 
tack our men who had gone thither to fish, 
and being joined by numbers from the vil- 
lage, without difficulty, overpowered and 
murdered them, and cutting off their heads, 
brought them on board, after throwing their 
bodies into the sea. On looking upon the 
deck, I saw it entirely covered with the blood 
of my poor comrades, whose throats had 
been cut with their own jack-knives, the sav- 
ages having seized the opportunity w bile they 
were busy in hoisting in the boat to grapple 
with them and overpower them by their num- 
bers ; in the scuffle the captain was thrown 
overboard and dispatched by those in the ca- 
noes who immediately cut off his head : 
What I felt on this occasion, may be more 
readily conceived than expressed. 

After I had answered his questions, Ma- 
quina took my silk handkerchief from my 
neck and bound it around my head, placing 
over the wound a leaf of tobacco, of which 
we had a quantity on board. This was done 
at my desire, as I had often found from per- 
sonal experience the benefit of this applica- 
tion to cuts. 

Afequina then ordered me to get the ship 
under weigh for friendly Cove. This I did 
by, . cutting the cables and sending some erf 
theii^ives aloft to loose the sails, which they 
perfumed in a very bungling manner. But 



34 

they succeeded so far in loosing the jib and 
topsails, that, with the advantage of a fair 
wind, I succeeded in getting the ship into 
the Cove, where, by order of the king, 1 ran 
her ashore on a sandy beach, at 8 o'clock at 
night. 

We were received by the inhabitants of 
the village, men, women, and children, with 
Joud shouts of joy, and a most horrible 
drumming with sticks upon the roofs and 
sides of their houses, in which they had al- 
so stuck a great number of lighted pine tor- 
ches, to welcome their king's return and 
congratulate him on the success of his en- 
terprize. 

Maquina then took me on shore to his 
house which was very large and filled with 
people — where I was received with much 
kindness by the women, particularly those 
belonging to the king, who had no less than 
nine wives, all of whom came around me ex- 
pressing much sympathy for my misfortune, 
f ently stroking and pattiag my head in an 
encouraging and soothing manner, with 
words expressive of condolence. How 
sweet is compassion even from savages ? — 
Those who have been in a similar situation, 
can alone truly appreciate its value. 

In the mean time, all the warriors of th^e 
tribe, to the number of five hundred, had as- 
sembled at the king's house to rejoice for 
their success. They exulted greatly in ba 



36 



ving taken our ship, and each one hosted of 
his own particular exploits in killing our 
men, but they were in general much dissatis- 
tied with my having: been suffered to live, 
and were very urgent with Maquiria to deli- 
ver me to them to be put to death, which he 
obstinately refused to do, telling them that 
he had promised me my life and would not 
break his word ; and that besides, I knew 
how to repair and to make arms, and should 
be of great use to them. 

The king then seated me by him and ^or- 
dered his women to bring him something tp 
eat, when they set before him some dried 
clams and train oil, of which he ate very 
heartily, and encouraged me to follow hiV 
example, telling me to eat much and take a 
great deal of oil which would ^ make me 
strong and fat ; notwithstanding his praise 
of this new kind of food, I felt no dispoj^i- 
tion to indulge in it, both the smell and ta^te 
being loathsome to me ; and had it been 
otherwise, such was the pain I endured, the 
agitation of my mind, and the gloominess of 
my reflections, that 1 should have felt very 
little inclination for eating. Not satisfied 
with his first refusal to deliver me up to 
them the people again became clamorous 
that Maquina should consent to my being 
Wled, saying that not one of us ought tQ be 
Ipt, alive to give information to others of our 
cottnirymen and prevent them from cotsimg 



to trade or induce them to revenge the de 
struction of our ship, and they at length be- 
came so boisterous that he caught up a large 
club in a passion and drove them all out of 
the house. During this scene a son of the 
king, of about eleven years old, attracted no 
doubt by the singularity of my appearance 
came up to me : I caressed him ; he return- 
ed my attentions with much apparent plea- 
sure, and considering this as a fortunate op- 
portunity to gain the good will of the father, 
I tpok the child on my knee, and cutting the 
metal buttons from olf the coat 1 had on, I 
tied them around his neck. At this he was 
highly jJelighted, and became so much at- 
tached to me that he would not quit me. 

The king appeared much pleased with my 
attention to his son, and telling me that it 
was time to go to sleep directed me to lie 
with his son next to him, as he was afraid 
Jest some of his people would come while 
be was asleep and kill me with th'eir dag- 
gers. I lay down as he ordered me, but 
neither the state of my mind nor the pain I 
felt would allow me to sleep. About mid- 
night 1 was greatly alarmed by the approach 
of one of the natives, who came to give in- 
formation to the king that there was ojne of 
the white men alive, who had knocked him 
down as he went on board the ship iii night 
This Maquina communicated to me, giviiip; 
me to understand that as soon as the ^\'n 



37 

rose he should kill him. I en^io^ivoured to 
persuade him to spare his life, but he Ug^e 
me be silent and go to sleep. I said nothing 
more but lay revolving in my mind what 
method 1 could devise to save the life of this 
man. What a consolation thought I, what 
a happiness would it prove to me in my for- 
lorn state amon^ these heathen, to have a 
Christian and one of my own countrymen 
for a companion, and how greatly would it 
alleviate and lighten the burden of my slav- 
ery. As I was thinking of some plan for 
his preservation, it all at once came into ray 
mind that this nian was probably the sail- 
maker of the ship, named Thompson, as I 
had not seen his head among those on deck 
and knew that he was below at work upon 
the sails not long before the attack. The 
more 1 thought of it the more probable it ap- 
peared to me, and as Thompson was a man 
nearly forty years of age, and had an old 
look, I conceived it v»'ould be easy to make 
him pass for my father, and by this means 
prevail on Maquina to spare his life, To» 
wards morning 1 fell into a doze, but was 
awakened with the first beams of the sun by 
%he,k\ng, who told me that he was going to 
kill the man who was on board the ship, and 
ordered me to accompany him. I rose and 
fc^Jlowed him, leading with me the yoiirv^ 
prifkqe his son» 

D 



38 

On coming" to the beach I found all the 
men o^ ^^^^ tribe assembled. The king ad- 
^?xessed them, saying that one of the white 
men had been found alive on board the ship, 
and requested their opinion as to saving his 
life or putting him to death. They were 
unanimously for the first : This determina- 
tion he made known to me. Having arrang- 
ed my plan, I asked him, pointing to the 
boy whom 1 still held by the hand, if he lov- 
ed his son, he answered that he did ; I then 
asked the child if he loved his father, and 
^^^ bib replying in the affirmative, I said and 
I also love mine." I then threw myself 
i my knees at Maquina s feet and implor- 
I him with tears in my eyes to spare my fa- 
thers life, if the man on board should prove 
ta be him, telling him that if he killed my 
father it was my wish that he should kill me 
too, and that if he did not I would kill my- 
self, — and that he would thus lose my servi- 
ces ; whereas, by sparing my father's life he 
'5^oidd preserve mine, which would be of 
great advantage to him by ray reparing and 
tnakinoj arms for him. Maquina appeared 
xnoved by my entreaties and promised not 
to put the man to death if he should be my 
father. He then explained to his people 
^vhat I had said, and ordered me to. go on 
board and tell the man to come on shoVe 
To my unspeakable joy on going into tLe 
hold- i fotuid that my conjecture w>: 



39 

Thompson was there, he had escaped with- 
out any injury, excepting a slight wound iu 
the nose, given him by one of the savages 
with a knife as he attempted to come on 
deck, during the scuffle. Finding the sava* 
ges in possession of the ship, as he afterwards 
informed me, he secreted himself in the hold, 
hoping for some chance to make his escape 
— but that the Indian who came on board in 
the night ajiproaching the place where he 
was, he supposed himself discovered, and 
being determined to sell his life as dearly as 
possible, as soon as he came within his reach, 
he knocked him down, but the Indian imme- 
diately sprmging up ran off at full speed. ^— 
I informed him in a few words that all oil r 
men had been killed ; that the king had pre- 
served my life, and had consented to spare 
his on the supposition that he was my father, 
an opinion which he must be careful not to 
undeceive liiem in, as it was his only safety. 
After giving him his cue, I went on shoi-e 
with him and presented him to Maquina, 
who immediately knew him to be the saii- 
maker and was much pleased, observing- 
that he could make sails for his cano^.— He 
then took us to his house and ordered sojue- 
thing for us to eat. 

On the 24th and 25th the natives were bu 
ly employed in taking the cargo out of the 
Kip, stripping her of her sails and riggingy 
uttiup away the spai^s and masts, and in 



40 

short rendering her as complete a wreck as 
possible, the muskets, ammunition, cloth and 
al! the principal articles taken from her, be- 
ing deposited in the king's house. 

While they were thus occupied, each one 
taking what he liked, my companion and 
myself being obliged to aid them, I thought 
it best to secure the accounts and papers of 
the ship, in hopes that on some future day I 
might have it in my power to restore them to 
the owners. With this view I took posses- 
sion of the Captain's writing desk which con- 
tained the most of them together with some 
Daper and implements for writing. I had 
ilso the good fortune to find a blank account 
aok, ill which I resolved, should it be per- 
iled me to write an an account of our cap- 
and the most remarkable occurrences 
iuac I should meet with during my stay 
liiiioog these people, fondly indulging the 
>pe that it would not be long-before some 
vessel would arrive to release us. I like- 
Tyise found in the cabin, a small volume of 
amons, a bible, and a common prayer book 
f the Church of England, which furnished 
»e and my comrade great consolation in the 
.idst of OUT mournful servitude, and ena- 
pled me, under the favor of divine provi- 
dence, to support, with firmness, the mise< 
les of a life which I mlG^lit otherwise have 
otmd beyond my strength to endure. A^- 
these people set no lvalue upon things of ^hl^ 



41 

kind, I found no difficulty in appropriating 
them to myself, by putting them in my chest, 
which though it had been broken open and 
rifled by the savages, as I still had the key, I 
without much difficulty secured. In this I 
also put some small tools belonging to the- 
ship, with several other articles, particularly 
a journal kept by the second mate, Mr. In- 
graham, and a collection of drawings and 
views of places taken by him, which I had 
the good fortune to preserve, and on my ar- 
rival at Boston, I gave them to a connection 
of his, the honourable Judge Dawes, who 
sent them to his family in New- York. 

On the 26th, two ships were seen stand- 
ing in for Fpiendly Cove. At their first ap- 
pearance the inhabitants were thrown into 
great confusion, but soon collecting a num- 
ber of muskets and blunderbusses, rail to 
the shore, from whence they kept up so brisk 
a fire at them, that they were evidently 

ifraid to approach nearer, and after firing a 
tew rounds of grape shot which did no harm 
to any one, they wore ship and stood out to 
sea. These ships, as I afterwards j^earnedv 
were the Mary and Juno of Boston, 

They were scarcely out of sigbt when Ma- 

jiiiaa expressed much regret that he had 
permitted his people to fire at them, being 
apprehensive that they would ^i^e iuforma- 

•aii to others in what manner tljeyhud been 
D 2 



42 

received, and prevent them from coming to 
trade with him. 

A few days after hearing of the capture of 
the ship, there arrived at Nootka a great 
number of canoes filled with savages from 
no less than twenty tribes to the North 
and South. Among those from the North 
were the Ai-tiz-zarts, Schoo-mad-its, Neu- 
wit-ties, Savin-nars, Ah-owz-arts, Mo- watch- 
its, Suth-setts, Neu-chad-lits, Mich-la-its 
and Cay-u-quets ; the most of whom were 
considered as tributary to Nootka. From 
the South, the Aytch-arts and Esquiates 
also tributary, with the Kla-oo-quates, and 
~the Wickanninish, a large and powerful tribe 
about two hundred miles distant. These 
/last were better clad than most of the oth- 
ers, and their canoes wrought with much 
reater skill ; they are furnished with sails 
s well as paddles, and with the advantage 
»f a fair breeze, are usually but twenty-four 
iiours on their passage. 

Maquina, who was very proud of his new 
icquisition, was desirous of welcoming these 
visitors in the European manner. He ac- 
urdingly ordered his men, as the canoes ap- 
.>roached, to assemble on the beach with 
loaded muskets and blunderbusses, placing 
-Thompson at the cannon -which had been 
brought from the ship and laid upain[ Ho 
long sticks of timber in front of the village, 
then taking a speaking trumpet in hi~ *'^" 



43 

he ascended with me, the roof af his house 
and began drumming or beating upon the 
boards with a stick most violently. Noth- 
ing could be more ludicrous than the appear- 
ance of this motly group of savages collect- 
ed on the shore, dressed as they were, with 
their ill-gotten finery, in the most fantastic 
manner, some in women's smocks, taken 
from our cargo, others in Kotsacks, (or 
cloaks) of blue, red or yellow broadcloth, 
with stockings drawn over their heads, and 
their necks hung round with numbers of 
powder-horns, shot-bags, and cartouch-box- 
es, some of them having no less than ten 
muskets a piece on their shoulders, and five 
or six daggers in their girdles. Diverting 
indeed was it to see them all squatted upon 
the beach, holding their muskets perpendi- 
cularly, with the butt pressed upon the sahd 
instead of against their shoulders, and in this 
position avi'aited the order to lire. Maqui- 
na, at last, called to then^ with hist trumpet 
to tire, which they did in the most awkward 
and timid manner, with their muskets hard 
pressed upon the ground as above mention- 
i?d. At the same moment the cannon were 
fired by Thompson, immediately on which 
they threw themselves back and began to 
roll and tumble over the sand as if they had 
>een shot, when suddenly springing up 
hey began a song of triumph and running 
"» >ward and forward upon the shore, 



44 

with the wildest gesticulations, boasted of 
their exploits and exhibited as trophies what 
they had taken from us. Not^vithstanding 
the unpleasantness of my situation, and the 
feelings that this display of our spoils ex- 
cited, I could not avoid laughing at the 
strange appearance of these savages, their 
awkward movements, and the singular con- 
trast of their dress and arms. 

When the ceremony was concluded, Ma- 
quina invited the strangers to a feast at his 
house, consisting of whale blubber, smoekd 
herring spawn, and dried fish and train oil, 
of which they eat most plentifully. The 
feast being over, the trays out of which they 
eat, and other things were immediately re- 
moved to make room for the dance which 
was to close the entertainment. This was 
performed by Maquina's son, the young 
pritice Sat-sat-sok-sis, whom I have already 
spoken of in the following manner — Three 
>f the principal chiefs, drest in their otter- 
skin mantles, which they wear only on ex- 
traordinary occasions and at festivals, hav- 
ing their heads covered over with vi'hite down 
and their faces highly painted, came forward 
into the middle of the room, each furnished 
with a bag filled with the white down, which 
they scattered around in such a manner as 
to represent a fall of snow. These were fol ^ 
lowed by the young prince, who was dresse 
in 2. long piece of yellow cloth, v-t-v *^ 



45 

loosely around him, and decorated with 
small bells, with a cap on his head, to which 
was fastened a curious mask in imitation of 
a wolfs head, while the rear was brought 
up by the king himself in his robe of sea- 
otter skin, with a small whistle in his mouth 
and a rattle in his hand, with which he kept 
time to a sort of tune on his whistle. After 
passing very rapidly in this order around the 
house, each of them seated himself, except 
the prince, who immediately began his 
dance, which principally consisted in spring- 
ing up into the air in a squat posture, and 
constantly turning around on his heels with 
great swiftness in a very narrow circle. This 
dance, with a few intervals of rest, was con- 
tinued for about two hours, during which 
the chiefs kept up a constant drumming 
with sticks of about a foot in length on a 
long hollow plank, which was, though a 
very noisy, a most doleful kind of music. 
This they accompanied with songs, the king 
himself acting as chorister, while the women 
applauded each feat of activity in the dan 
cer by repeating the words, Wocash! Wocash 
Tyee ! that is good ! very good prince. As 
soon as the dance was finished Maquina be- 
gan to give presents to the strangers in the 
name of his gon Sat-sat-sok-sis. These were 
pieces? of European cloth generally of a fa 
in length, muskets, powder, shot, &c, 
^ "^r he gave them any thing, they had 



40 

a peculiar manner of snatching it from him 
with a very stern and surly look, repeating 
each time the words, Wocash Tyee. This I 
understood to be their custom, and was con- 
sidered as a compliment which if omitted j 
w^ould be supposed as a mark of disregard ^ 
for the present-. On this occasion Maquina 
gave away no less than one hundred mus- 
kets, the same number of looking glasses, 
four hundred yards of cloth, and twenty 
casks of powder besides other things. 

After receiving these presents, the stran- 
gers retired on board their canoes, for so nu- 
merous were they that Maquina would not 
suffer any but the chiefs to sleep in the hou- 
.«:es ; and in order to prevent the property 
from being pillaged by them, he ordered 
Thompson and myself to keep guard, during 
the night, armed with cutlasses and pistols. 

In this manner tribes of savages from vari- 
ous parts of the coast, continued coming for ^ 
several days, bringing' with them, blubber, 
q\\, herring spawn, dried fish and clams, for 
which they received in return, presents of 
cloth, &c. after which they in general imme- 
diately returned home. I observed that ve- 
ry few, if any of them, except the chiefs, had 
arms, which I afterwards learned is the cos- . 
torn with these people whenever they cori e 
upon a friendly visit or to trade, in 0Tder to 
5hesy, on their approach, that their iiifelitfOii^ 
re pacific. 



47 

Early on the morning of the 18th the ship 
was discovered to be on fire. TJiis was ow- 
ing to one of the savages having gone on 
board with a fire brand at night for the pur- 
pose of phmder, some sparks from which 
fell into the hold, and communicating with 
some combustibles soon enveloped the 
whole in flam.es. The natives regretted the 
loss of the ship the more as a great part of 
her cargo still remained on board. To my 
companion and myself it was a most melan- 
choly sight, for with her disappeared from 
our eyes every trace of a civilized country ; 
but the disappointment we experienced was 
still more severely felt, for we had calculat- 
ed on having the provision to ourselves, 
which would have furnished us with a stock 
for years, as whatever is cured with salt, to- 
gether with most of our other articles of food, 
are never eaten by these people. 1 had luck- 
ily saved all my tools exceptitig the anvil, 
and the bellows which was attached to the 
forge and from their weight had not been 
brought on shore. We had also the good 
fortune in looking over what had been.taketi 
from the ship to discover a box of chocolate 
and a case of port wine, which as the In- 
dians were not fond of it proved a great com- 
fort to ii%for some time, and from one of the 
natives i obtained a nautic9-l almanack, which 
h<ld[:fcjelonged to the Captain, and which was 
of gfeat use to me in determining the timee 



4b 

About two days after, on examing then 
booty, the savages found a tierce of rum with 
which they were highly delighted, as they 
have become very fond of spirituous liquors 
since their intercourse with the whites. — 
This was towards evening, and Maquina 
having assembled all the men at his house, 
gave a feast, at which they drank so freely 
of the rum, that in a short time, thev be- 
came so extremely wild and frantic that 
Thompson and myself, apprehensive for our 
safety, thought it prudent to retire privately 
into the woods, where we continued till past 
midnight. On our teturn we found the wo- 
men gone, who are always very temperate, 
drii.k.ng nothing but water having quitted 
the house and gone to the other huts to 
sleep, so terrified were they at the conduct 
of the men, wh@ all lay stretched out on the 
floor in a state of complete intoxication. 
How easy in this situation would it have 
been for us to have dispatched or made our- 
selves masters of our enemies, had there 
been any ship near to which we could have 
escaped, but as we were situated, the attempt 
would have been madness. The wish of re- 
venge was however less strongly impressed 
on my mind, than what appeared to be so 
evident sn interposition of divine ProviderF^r^e 
in our favour. How little can man pe -v 
trate its designs, and how frequently is ^i ;• 
intended as a blessing which he vfews as i 



4i> 

curse. The burning of oar ship which V*> 
had lamented so much, as depriving us of so 
many comforts, now appeared to us in a ve- 
ry different light, for had the savages got pos- 
session of the rum of which there were near- 
ly twenty puncheons on board, we must in> 
evitably have faiien a sacrifice to their fury 
in some of their moments of intoxication. 
This cask fortunately and a case of gin was 
all the spirits they obtained from the ship. 
To prevent the recurrence of sim^r dan 
ger 1 examined the cask, and tindfl^ still a 
considerable quantity remaining, I bored a 
small hole in the bottom with a giinblet 
which before morning to my great joy com 
pletely emptied it. 

By this time the wound in my head began 
to be much better, so thatl could enjoy 
some sleep which I had been almost depriv- 
ed of by the pain, and thougli^J was still fee* 
ble from the loss of blood ancTmy suffermors, 
I found myself sufficiently well to i^o to work 
at my trade, in making for the king and hk 
wives bracelets and other small ornaments 
of copper or steel, and in repairing the arms, 
making use of a large square stone for the 
anvil and heating my metal in a common 
wood ftre. This was very gratifving to Ma- 
quina and his women particularly, and so 
cured me their good will. 

in the mean time great numbers from (he 
other tribes, kept continuallv flockini? ih 
E 



Nootka, bringing with them in exchange for 
the ship's plunder such quantities of provis- 
ion, that notwithstanding the little success 
that Maquina met with in whaling this sea- 
son, and their gluttonous waste^ always eat- 
ing to excess when they have it, regardless 
of the morrow, seldom did the natives expe- 
rience any want of food during the summer. 
As to myself and companion we fared as 
they did, never wanting for such provision as 
they had, though we were obliged to eat it 
cookednn their manner and with train oil as 
a sauce, a circumstance not a little unpleas- 
ant, both from their uncleanly mode of cook- 
ing, and many of the articles of their food 
which to an European are very disgusting, 
but, as the saying is, hunger will break 
through stone walls, and we found at times 
m the blubber of sea animals and the flesh 
of the dogfish, loathsome as it in general 
was, a very acceptable repast. But timch 
oftener would poor Thompson, who was no 
favorite with them, have suffered from hun- 
ger, had it not been for my furnishing him 
with provision — This I was enabled to do 
iVom my work, Maquina allowing me the 
privilege, when not employed for him, to 
work for myself in making bracelets and oth- 
er ornaments of copper, fish-hooks, dagger.s, 
&c. either to sell to the tribes who visited us, 
or for our own chiefs, who on these occasions 
besides supplying me with as much as J 



wished to eat, and a sufficiency for Thomp- 
son, almost always made me a present of ao 
European garment taken from the ship or 
some fathoms of cloth, which were made up 
by my comrade, 'and enabled us to go com- 
fortably clad for some time, or small bun- 
dies of penknives, razors, scissors, &c. for 
one of which we could almost always pro- 
cure from the natives two or three fresh sal- 
mon, cod, or halibut ; or dried fish, clams 
and herring spawn from the stranger tribes ; 
and had we only been permitted tjo cook 
them after our own way, as we had pots, and 
other utensils belonging to the ship, we 
should have not had much cause of com> 
plaint in this respect, but so tenacious are 
these people of their customs, particularly in 
the article of food and cooking, that the 
king always obliged me to give whatever pro- 
visions 1 bought to the women to cook — and 
one day finding Thompson and myself on 
the shore employed in boiling down sea-wa-. 
ter into salt, on being told what it was, he 
\yas very much displeased, and taking the 
little we had procured, threw it into the sea. 
fn one instance alone, as a particular favour, 
he allowed me to boil some salmon in my 
own way, when I invited him and his quien 
to eat with me ; they tasted it, but did not 
Jike.it, and made their meal of some of it 
ibat I had cooked in their country fashion 



In May, the weather became uucoQiinou- 
ly mild and pleasant, and so forward was ve- 
getation that I picked a plenty of strawber- 
ries by the middle of the month. Of this 
frjait there are great quantities on this coast, 
and I found them a most delicious treat. — 
My health now had become almost re-estab- 
lished, my wound being so far healed that it 
i^ave me no farther trouble. I had never fail- 
*^d to wash it regularly once a day in sea 
water, and to dress it with a fresh leaf of to- 
^ac^o, which I obtained from the natives, 
who had taken it from the ship, but made 
.0 use of it. This was all the dressing I 
iave it, except applying to it two or three 
ames, b little loai* sugar, which Maquina 
> ave me, in order to remove some proud flesh 
vliich prevented it from closing. My cure 
.rould doubtless have been much sooner ef- 
ected had 1 have been in a civilized country, 
vhere T could have had it dressed by a sur- 
leon and properly attended to. But alas ! 
1 liad no good Samaritan with oil and wine 
to bind up my wounds, and fortunate might 
I even esteem myself that I was permitted 
o <lress it myself, for the utmost that I 
ould expect from the natives was compas- 
sion for my misfortune, which I indeed ex- 
perienced from the women, particularly tije 
queen, or favorite wife of Maquina, the 
mother of Sat-sat-sok-sis, who used fp 
quently to point to my head and mpuif«^^' 



53 

much kindness and solicitude for nie. I 
must do Maquina the justice to acknowledge 
that he always appeared desirous of sparing 
me any labour which he believed might be 
hurtful to me, frequently enquiring in' an af- 
fectionate manner, if my head pained me. 
As for the others, some of the chiefs except- 
ed, they cared little what became of me, and 
probably would have been gratified with n»y 
death. 

My health being at length re-established 
and my wound healed, Thompson became 
very importunate for me to begin my jour- 
nal, and as I had no ink, proposed to cut his 
finger to supply me with blood for the pur 
pose whenever I should want it. On the 
first of June I accordingly commenced a 
regular diary, but had no occasion to make 
use of the expedient suggested by my com- 
rade, having found a much better substitute- 
in the expressed juice of a certain plant; 
which furnished me with a bright green col 
our and after making a number of trials I aj 
length succeeded in obtaining a very tole- 
rable ink, by boiling the juice of the black 
berry with a mixture of finely powdered 
charcoal and filtering it through a cloth. 
This I afterwards preserved in bottles and 
iQund it answer very well, so true is it that ' 
'necessity is the mother of invention*" ^^i^ 
f«i^7 quills I found no difficulty in procunng " 
hem, whenever I wanted, from thor- -- 
e2 



54 

and ravens with which the beach Was almost 
always covered, attracted by the offal of 
whales, seals, &c. and which were so tarne 
that I could easily kill them with stones, 
while a large clam shell furnished me with 
an ink stand. 

The extreme solicitude of Thompson that 
I should begin my journal, might be consid- 
ered as singular in a man, who neither knew 
how to write or read, a circumstance by the 
way, very uncommon in an American, were 
v^ e less acquainted with the force of habit, 
he having been for mstny years at sea, and 
iccustomed to consider the keeping of a 
journal as a thing indispensable. This man 
was born in Philadelphia, and at eight years 
old rrtn away from his friends and entered 
IS a cabin boy on board a ship bound to 
London, on his arrival there finding himself 
]xi distress, he engaged as an apprentice to 
he captain of a Collier, from whence he was 
mpressed on board an English man of war,, 
tnd continued in the British naval service 
ibont twenty-seven years, during which he 
V as present at the engagement under Lord 
Howe with the French fleet in June, 1794, 
uid when peace was made between England 
ind France was discharged. He was a very 
trong and powerful man, an expert boxer 
ind perfectly fearless, indeed so littk wa^ 
his dread of danger, that when irritated ht 
was wholly regardless of his life. Of thiF 
he following will furnish a sufficient proof 



55 

One eveniwg about the middle of Aprils 
ae I was at the house of one of the chiefs^ 
where I had been employed on some work 
for him^ word was brought me that Maqui-^ 
na was going to kill Thompson. I immedi- 
ately hurried home, where I found the king 
in the act of presenting a loaded musket at 
Thompson, who was standing before him 
with his breast bared and calling on him to 
fire. I instantly stepped up to Maquina, 
who was foaming with rage, and addressing 
him in soothing words, begged him for my 
sake not io kill my filher, and at length suc- 
ceeded in taking the musket from him and 
persuading him to sit down. On enquiring 
into the cause of his anger, I learned that 
while Thompson was lighting the lamps in 
the king's room, Maquina having substituted 
our's for their pine torches, some of the 
boys began to teaze him, running around 
him and pulling him by the trowser^, 
among the most forward of whom was the 
young prince. This caused Thompson to 
spill the oil, which threw him into such 
a passion, that without caring what he 
did, he struck the prince so violent a 
blow in his face with his fist as to knock 
him down. The sensation excited among 
tile savages by an act, which was consid- 
ered as the highest indignity, and a pro- 
^a^tion of the sacred person of majesty 
5rmv- be easily conceived. The king was 



56 

immediately acquainted with it, who, on 
coming in and seeing his son's face cover- 
ed with blood, seized a musket and began to 
load it, determined to take instant revenge 
on the audacious offender, and had I arriv- 
ed a few minutes later than I did, my com- 
panion would certainly have paid with his 
life for his rash and violent conduct. I 
found the utmost difficulty in pacifying Ma- 
quina, who for a long time after- could not 
forgive Thompson, but would repeatedly 
say,- " John, you die — Thompson kill." — 
But to appease the king was not all that was 
necessary. In consequence of the insult 
offered to their prince, the whole tribe held a 
council, in which it was unanimously resolv- 
ed that Thompson should be put to death in 
the most cruel manner. I however inter- 
ceded so strenuously with Maqnina, for his 
life, telling him that if my father was killed, 
T was determined not to survive him, that 
he refused to deliver him up to the ven- 
geance of his people, saying, that for John's 
sake they must consent to let him live. The 
prince, who, after I had succeeded in calm- 
ing his father, gave me an account of what 
had happened, told me that it was wholly 
out of regard to me, as Thompson was my 
father, that his life had been spared, for that 
if any one of the tribe should dare to lift i 
hand against him in anger, he would IR«- 
certainly be put to death 



57 

Yet even this narrow escape produced 
not much effect on Thompson, or induc^ 
ed him to restrain the violence of his tem- 
per. For not many weeks after, he was 
guilty of a similar indiscretion, in strik- 
ing the eldest son of a chief, who was 
about eighteen years old, and according to 
their custom was considered as a Tyee, or 
chief himself, in consequence of his having 
provoked him by calling him a white .^lave. 
This affair caused great commotion in the 
village, and^the tribe was very clamorous for 
his death, but Maquina would not consent 
I used frequently to remonstrate with him 
on the imprudence of his conduct and beg 
him to govern his temper better, telling him 
that it was our duty since our lives were ir* 
the power of these savages, to do nothing 
to exasperate them. But all I could say 
on this point availed little, for so bitter 
was the hate he felt for them, which he 
was no way backward in manifesting both 
by his looks and actions, that he declared 
he never would submit to their insults, and 
that he had much rather be killed thap be 
obliged to live among them,^ adding that 
he only wished he had a good vessel and 
some guns, and he would destroy the whole 
of the. cursed race; for to a brave sailor 
Uke him, who had fought the Freach and 
Spaniards with glory, it was a punish- 
monl worse than death to be a slave to 



such a poor, ignorant, despicable set of be- 
ings. 

, As for myself I thought very differently= 
After returning thanks to that merciful Be- 
ing who had in so wonderful a manner soft- 
ened the hearts of the savages in my favour, 
1 had determined from the first of my cap- 
ture to adopt a conciliating conduct towards 
them, and conform myself, as far as was in 
my power, to their , customs and mode of 
thinking, trusting that'the same divine good- 
less that had rescued me from death, would 
not always suffer me to languish in captivity 
among these heathen. With thii^ view I 
sought to gain their good will by always en- 
deavouring to assume a cheerful counte- 
iiance, appearing pleased with their sports 
and buffoon tricks, making little ornaments 
for the wives and children of the chiefs, by 
which means I became quite a favourite with 
them, and fish hooks, daggers, &(^. for them- 
selves. As a farther recommendation to 
their favour and what might eventually prove 
of the utmost importance to us, I resolved 
to learn their language, which in the course 
of a few months residence I so far succeed- 
ed in acquiring as to be able in general to 
make myself well understood, I likewise 
tried to persuade Thompson to learn it as 
what might prove necessary to him. But he 
refused, saying, that he hated both them and 
their cursed Jingo and would have nothing; 
to do with it. 



59 

By pursuing this conciliatory plan, so far 
did I gain the good will of the savages, par- 
ticularly the chiefs, that I scarcely ever fail 
ed experiencing kind treatment from them, 
and was received with a smile of welcome 
at their houses, where I was always sure of 
having something given me to eat, when- 
ever they had it, and many a good meal 
have I had from them, ^hen they themselves 
were short of provisions and suffering for 
the want of them. And it was a common 
practice with me when Ave had nothing to 
eat at home which happened not vmfrequent- 
iy 4w'*'ing TOy stay among them, to go around 
the village, and on noticing a smoke from 
any of the houses, which denoted that they 
were coding, enter in without ceremony 
and ask them for something, which I was 
never refused. Few nations indeed, are 
there, so very rude and unfeeling, whom con- 
stant mild treatment and an attention to 
please, will not mollify and obtain from them 
some return of kind attention. This, the treat- 
ment I received from these people may ex- 
emplify, for not numerous, even among those 
calling themselves civilized, are there instan 
ces to be found of persons depriving them- 
selves of food to give it to a stranger, what 
ever may he his merits. 

It may perhaps be as well in this place to 
give a description of Nootka, some accounts 
of the tribes who were accustomed to visit 



60 

tis and the manners and customs of the peo 
pie as far as I hitherto had an opportunity 
of observing them. 

The viHage of Nootka, is situated in be- 
tween 40 and 50 deg. N. lat. at the bottom 
of Friendly Gove, on ike West or North 
West side. It consists of about twenty 
houses or h«ts, on a small hill which rises 
with a gentle ascent from the shore. Friend- 
ly Cove which aflfords good and secure an- 
chorage for ships close in- with the shore is 
a small harbour of not more than a quarter 
or half a mile in length, and about half a 
mile or three quarters broad, formed by 
the line of coast on the East, and a long 
point, or head land which extends as much 
as three leagues into the sound i%l nearly a 
Westerly direction. This as well as I can 
judge from what I have seen of it, is in gen- 
eral from one to two miles in breadth, and 
mostly a rocky and unproductive soil with 
but few trees. The Eastern and Western 
shores of this harbour are steep and in ma 
ny parts rocky the trees growing quite to 
the water's edge, but the bottom to the North 
and North- West is a fine sandy beach of 
half a mile or more iu extent. From the 
village to the North and North East ex- 
tends a plain, the soil of which is vety- ex- 
cellent, and with proper cultivation may be 
made to produce almost any of our Europe 
an vegetables : this is but little more thai- 



61 

half a mile in breadth and is terminated by 
the sea coast, which in this place is lined 
with rocks and reefs and cannot be ap- 
proached by ships. The coast in the neigh- 
bourhood of INootka is in general low and 
but little broken into hills and vallies. The 
soil is good, well covered with fine forests 
of pine, spruce, beach and other trees, and 
abounds with streams of the finest water, 
the general appearance being the same for 
many miles round. 

The village is situated on the ground oc- 
cupied by the Spaniards, when they kept a 
garrison here ; the foundations of the church 
and the governor's house are ye4; visible, and 
a few European plants are still to be found, 
which continue to be self-propagated, such 
as onions, peas, and turnips, but the two 
last are quite small, particularly the tur 
nips, which afforded us nothing^ but the 
tops for eating. Their former village stood 
on the same spot, but the Spaniards finding 
it a commodious situation, demolished the 
houses and forced the inhabitants to retire 
five or six miles into the country. With 
great sorrow% as Maquina told me, did they 
find themselves compelled to quit their aa- 
cr^it place of residence, but with equal 
joy did they repoj^ess themselves of it when 
the Spanish garrison was'expelled by the 
^inglish. 



62 

The houses aa^'I'have observed are above 
twenty in number, built nearly in a line. 
These are of different sizes accordnig to the 
Fank or quality of the Tyee, or chief, who 
lives in them, each having one, of which he 
is considered as the lord. They vary not 
much in width being usually from thirty-six 
to forty feet wide, but are of very different 
lengths, that of the king which is much the 
longest being about one hundred and Miy 
feet, while the smallest which contain only 
two families do not exceed forty i^^i in 
length, the house of the king is also distin- 
guished from the others by being higher. 

Their method of building, is as follows, 
they erect in the ground two very large 
posts at such a distance apart as is intend- 
ed for the length of the house. On these, 
which are of equal height, and hollowed out 
at the upper end, they lay a large spar ior 
the ridgepole of the building, or if the 
length of the house requires it, two or more, 
supporting their ends by similar upright 
posts ; these spars are sometimes of an al- 
most incredible size, having myself measur- 
ed one in Maquina's house which I found to 
be one hundred feet long and eight feet four 
inches in circumference. At equal distangg^ 
from these two posts two others are plarcS 
on each side, to form the width of the bui^- 
ing ; these are rather shorter than the first; 
and on them are laid m like manner spar?; 



63 

but of a smaller size, having the upper part 
hewed flat, with a narrow ridge on the outer 
side to support the ends of the planks. The 
roof is formed of pine planks with a broad 
feather edge, so as to lap well over each oth 
er, which are laid lengthwise from the ridge- 
pole in the centre, to the beams at the sides, 
after which the top is covered with planke 
of eight feet broad, which form a kind of co- 
vering projecting so far over the ends of the 
planks, that form the roof, as completely to 
exclude the rain. On these they lay large 
stones to prevent their being displaced by 
the wind. The ends of the planks are not 
secured to the beams on which they are laid 
by any fastening, so that in a high storm I 
have often known all the men obliged to 
turn out and go upon the roof to prevent 
them from being blown off, carrying large 
stones and pieces of rock with them to se- 
cure the boards, always stripping themselves 
naked on these occasions whatever may be 
the severity of the weather, to prevent their 
garments from being wet and muddied, 
as these storms are almost always accom- 
panied with heavy rains. The sides of their 
houses are much more open and exposed 
to the weather, this proceeds from their 
not being so easily made close as the roof, 
beiiig built with planks of about ten feet 
odig and four or five wide, which they place 
y^^^en stancheons or small posts of the 



64 

height of the roof, of these there are four 
to each range of boards, two at each end 
and so near each other as to leave space 
enough for admitting a plank. The planks 
or boards which they make use of for build- 
ing their houses, and for other uses, they pro- 
cure of different lengths as occasion requires, 
by splitting them out, with hard wooden 
wedges from pine logs, and afterwards dub- 
bing them down with their chizzels, with 
much patience, to the the thickness wanted, 
tendering them quite smooth. 

There is but one entrance ; this is placed 
usually at the end, though sometimes in the 
middle as was that of Maquinas. Through 
the middle of the building from one end to 
the other, runs a passage of about eight or 
nine feet broad, on each side of which, the 
several families that occupy it, live, each hav- 
ing its particular fire place, but without 
any kind of wall or separation to mark 
their respective limits ; the chief having his 
apartment at the upper end, and the next in 
rank opposite on the other side. They have 
no other floor than the ground ; the fire place 
or hearth consists of a number of stones 
loosely put together, but they are wholly 
without a chimney, nor is there any ogpijng 
left in the roof, but whenever a fire is made, 
the plank immediately over it is thfi?s? 
aside, by means of a pole, to give vent h: 
the smoke. The height of the houses in ycj 



65 

lieral, from the ground to the center of the 
roof does not exceed ten feet, that of Maqui- 
na's was not far from fourteen ; the spar 
forming the ridge pole of the latter was paint- 
ed in red and black circles alternately by 
way of ornament, and the large posts that 
supported it had their tops curiously wrought 
or carved, so as to represent human heads 
of a monstrous size, which were painted in 
their manner. These were not, however, 
considered as objects of adoration, but mere- 
ly as ornaments. 

The furniture of these people is very sim- 
ple, and consists only of boxes in which 
they put their clothes, furs, and such things 
as they hold most valuable ; tubs for keep- 
ing their provision of spawn and blubber in ; 
trays from which they eat ; baskets for their 
dried fish and other purposes, and bags made 
of bark matting, of which they also make 
their beds, spreading a piece of it upon the 
ground when they lie down and using no 
other bed covering than their garments. 
The boxes are of pine, with a top that shuts 
over, and instead of nails or pegs are fasten- 
ed with flexible twigs, they are extremely 
smooth and high polished, and sometimes 
ornamented with rows of very small white 
shells. The tubs are of a square form, se- 
cured in the like manner, and of various 
i^izes, some being extremely large, having 

en them that were six feet long by four 
f2 



60 

broad and five deep. The Trays are hol- 
lowed out with their chizzels from a solid 
block of wood and the baskets and mats are 
made from the bark of trees. From this 
they likewise make the cloth for their gar- 
ments, in the following manner. A quan- 
tity of this bark is taken and put into fresh 
water where it is kept for a fortnight to give 
it time to completely soften ; it is then ta- 
ken out and beaten upon a plank, with an in- 
strument made of bone or some very hard 
wood, having grooves or hollows on one side 
of it, care being taken to keep the mass 
constantly moistened with water, in order 
to separate with more ease the hard and 
woody from the soft and fibrous parts, 
which, when completed, they parcel out in- 
to skeins, like thread. These they lay in 
the air to bleach, and afterwards dye them 
black or red as suits their fancies, their na- 
tural colour being a pale yellow. In order 
to form the cloth, the women by whom the 
whole of this process is performed, take a 
certain number of these skeins and twist 
them together by rolling them with their 
hands upon their knees, into hard rolls which 
are afterwards connected by means of a 
strong thread made for the purpose. 

Their dress usually consists of but a sin- 
gle garment, which is a loose cloak or man- 
tle (called Kutsack) in one piece, reachit^- 
nearly to the feet. This is tied loose| 



67 

over the right or left shoulder so as to leave 
the arms at full liberty. 

Those of the common people are painted 
red with ochre the better to keep out the 
rain, but the chiefs wear them of their na- 
tive colour, which is a pale yellow, orna- 
menting them with borders of the sea otter 
skin, a kind of grey cloth made of the hair 
of some animal which they procure from the 
tribes to the South, or their own cloth 
wrought or painted with various figures in 
red or black, representing men's heads, the 
sun and moon, fish and animals, which are 
frequently executed with much skill. They 
have also a girdle of the same kind for se- 
curing this mantle, or Kutsack, around them, 
which is in general still more highly orna- 
mented and serves them to wear their dag- 
gers and knives in. In winter however, they 
sometimes make use of an additional gar- 
ment, which is a kind of hood, with a hole 
in it for the purpose of admitting the 
head, and falls over the breast and back 
as low as the shoulders ; this is bordered 
both at top and bottom with fur and is 
never worn, except when they go out. The 
garments of the women vary not essential- 
ly from those of the men, the mantle hav- 
ing holes in it for the purpose of admitting 
the arms, and being tied* close under the 
^in, instead of over the shoulder. The 
chiefs have also mantles of the se^ otter 



68 

skin, but these are only put on upon extra- 
ordinary occasions, and one that is n^ade 
from the skin of a certain large animal, 
which is brought from the South by the 
Wickanninish and Kla-iz-zarts. This they 
prepare by dressing it in warm water, scrap- 
ing off the hair and what tlesh adheres to it 
carefully with sharp muscle shells, and 
spreading it out in the sun to dry, on a wood- 
en frame so as to preserve the shape. When 
dressed in this manner it becomes perfectly- 
white and as pliable as the best deer's lea- 
ther, but ahnostas thick again. They then 
paint it in different figures with such paints 
as they usually employ in decorating their 
persons : these figures mostly represent 
human heads, canoes employed in catch- 
ing whales, &c. This skin is called Meta- 
melth and is probably got from an animal 
of the moose kind, it is highly prized by 
these people, is their great war dress, and 
only worn when they wish to make the best 
possible display of themselves. Strips or 
bands of it, painted as above, are also some- 
times used by them for girdles or the bor- 
dering of their cloaks, and also for brace- 
lets and ancle ornaments by some of the in- 
ferior class. 

On their heads when they go out upon 
any excursion particularly whaling or fish- 
ing, they wear a kind of cap or bonnet \u 
form not unlike a large sugar loaf with thF 



69 

top cut off. This is made of the same ma- 
terials with their cloth, but is in general of 
a closer texture and by way of tassel has a 
long strip of the skin of the Meiamelth at^ 
tached to it, covered with rows of small 
white shells or beads. Those worn by the 
common people are painted entirely red, the 
chiefs having theirs of diflerent colours. 
The one worn by the king and which serves 
to designate him from all the others, is 
longer and broader at the bottom ; the top, 
instead of being flat, having upon it an orna- 
ment in the figure of a small urn. It is also 
of a much finer texture than the others and 
plaited or wrought in black and white stripes 
with the representation in front of a canoe 
in pursuit of a whale with the harpooner 
standing in the prow prepared to strike. 
This bonnet is called Seei/a-poks. 

Their mode of living is very simple— their 
food consisting almost wholly of fish, or fish 
spawn fresh or died, the blubber of the 
whale, seal, or sea-cow, muscles, clams, and 
berries of various kinds ; all of which are 
eaten with a profusion of train oil for sauce, 
not excepting even the most delicate fruit, 
as strawberries and raspberries. With so 
little variety in their food, no great can be 
expected, in their cookery. Of this, indeed, 
they may be said to know but two methods, 
yifi^. by boiling and steaming, and even the 
v^tter is not very frequently practised by 



70 

them. Their mode of boiling is as follows : 
into one of their tubs, they pour water suf- 
ficient to cook the quantity of provision 
wanted. ^ number of heated stones are 
then put in to make it boil, when the sal- 
mon or other fish are put in without any 
other preparation than sometimes cutting 
off the heads, tails and fins, the boiling in 
the mean time being kept up by the appli- 
cation of the hot stones, after which it is 
left to cook until the whole is nearly reduc- 
ed to one mass. It is then taken out and 
distributed in the trays. In a similar man- 
ner they cook their blubber and spawn, 
smoked or dried fish, and in fine, almost ev- 
ery thing they eat, nothing going down with 
them like broth. 

When they cook their fish by steam, which 
are usually the heads, tails, and fins of the 
salmon, cod and halibut, a large fire is kin- 
'^led, upon which they place a bed of stones, 
^yhich, when the wood is burnt down, be- 
comes perfectly heated. Layers of green 
leaves or pine boughs, are then placed upon 
the stones, and the fish, clams, &c. being laid 
upon them, water is poured over them, and 
the whole closely covered with mats to keep 
in the steam. This is much the bes^ mode 
of cooking, and clams and muscles done in 
this manner, are really excellent. Thfese, 
as I have said, may be considered as their 
only kinds of cookery ^ though 1 have iu ^ 



71 

very few instances known them dress the 
roe or spawn of the salmon and the herring, 
when first taken, in a different manner ; this 
was by roasting them, the former being sup- 
ported between two split pieces of pine, and 
the other having a sharp stick run through 
it, with one end fixed in the ground ; sprats 
are also roasted by them in this way, a 
number being spitted on one stick ; and this 
kind of food, with a little salt, would be 
found no contemptible eating even to a Eu- 
ropean. 

At their meals they seat themselves upon 
the ground, with their feet curled up under 
them, around their trays, which are general- 
ly about three feet long by one broad, and 
from six to eight inches deep. In eating 
they make use of nothing but their fingers, 
except for the soup or oil, which they lade 
out with clam shells. Around one of these 
trays, from four to six persons will seat 
themselves, constantly dipping in their fin- 
ders or clam shells, one after the other. — 
The king and chiefs alone have separate 
trays, from which no one is permitted to eat 
with them, except the queen, or principal 
wife of the chief, and whenever the king or 
one of the chiefs wishes to distinguish any 
of his people with a special mark of favour 
on these occasions, he calls him and gives 
him 4Some of the choice bits from his tray. 
The slaves eat at the same time, and of the 



72 

^ame provisions, fareing in this respect as 
well as their masters, bieing seated with tlie 
family and only feedfngfrom separate trays. 
Whenever a feast is given by the king or any 
of the chiefs, there is a person who acts as a 
master of ceremonies, and whose business it 
is to receive the guests as they enter the 
house and point out to them their respective 
seats, which is regulated with great punctil- 
iousness as regards rank ; the king occupy- 
ing the highest or the seat of honour, his son 
or brother sitting next him, and^so on with 
the chiefs according to their quality ; the pri- 
vate persons belonging to the same family 
being always placed together to prevent any 
contusion. The women are seldom invited 
to their feasts, and only at those times when 
a general invitation is given to the village. 

As whenever they cook, they always cal- 
culate to have an abundance for all the 
guests, a profusion in this respect being con- 
sidered as the highest luxury, much more 
is usually set before them than they can eat. 
That which is left in the king's tray he sends 
to iiis house for his family, by one of his 
slaves, as do the chiefs theirs, while those 
who eat from the same tray and who gener- 
ally belong to the same family, take it home 
as common stock, or each one receives, his 
portion, which is distributed on th^ spot. 
This custom appeared very singular io »ny 
companion and myself, and it was a n^c 



4 



viwkward thing for us at first, to have to lug 
home with us, in our hands or arms, the 
blubber or fish that'we received at these 
times, but we soon became reconciled to it, 
and were very glad of an opportunity to 
do it. 

In point of personal appearance the peo- 
ple of Nootka are among the best looking 
of any of the tribes that I have seen. The 
men are in general from about five feet six 
to five feet eight inches in height; remarka- 
bly strait, of a good form, robust, and strong, 
with their limbs in general well turned and 
proportioned excepting the legs and feet, 
which are clumsy and ill formed, owing 
no doubt to their pi ad ice of sitliiig oi 
them, though I have seen . ^stances in which 
they were very well shap i', this defect is 
more particularly apparent in the womeUf 
who are for the most part of the tiftie within 
doors, and constantly sitting wl'ile employ- 
ed in their cooking and other occupation's. 
The only instance of deformity that i saw 
among them was a man of dwarfish stature; 
he was thirty ye|irs old and but three feet 
three inches hign, he had however no other 
defect than his diminutive size bein^ well 
made, and as strong and able to bear fa° 
^^^^"- ^s what t\w\ were in general. Their 
r>5&K.^exion, when freed from the paint and 
vnti V, au<)|iich their skins are generally rov- 
>wu, somewhat inclining to a cop- 

\ / \ 



74 

per cast. The shape of the face is oval ; 
the features are tolerably regular, the lips 
being thin and the teejh verj white and ev- 
en : their eyes are black but rather sniall, 
and the nose pretty well formed, being nei- 
ther flat nor very prominent : their hair is 
black, long and coarse, but they have no 
beard, completely extirpating it, as well as 
the hair from their bodies, Maquina being 
the only exception, who suffered his beard 
to grow on his upper lip, in the manner of 
mustachios, which was considered as a mark 
of dignity. As to the women they are much 
whiter, many of them not being darker than 
those in some of the Southern parts of Eu- 
rope. They are in general very well look- 
ing and some quite handsome. Maquina's 
favorite wife in particular, who was a Wick- 
inninish princess, would be considered as 
a beautiful woman in any country. She 
was uncommonly well formed, tall, and of 
a majestic appearance ; her skin remarka- 
bly fair for one of these people, with con- 
siderable colour, her features handsome and 
her eyes black, soft, and languishing ; her 
hair was very long, thick, %nd black, as is 
that of the females in general, which is much 
softer than that of the men ; in this they 
take much pride, frequently oiling and plait 
ing it carefully into two broad plaits, ty» 
the ends with a strip of the cblh '^' 
country and letting it hang dowr^j 
each mde of the face. 1 



75 

The women keep their garments mucft 
neater and cleaner than the men, and are 
extremely modest in their deportment and 
dress ; their mantle or Katsack, which is 
longer than that of the men, reaching qnite 
to their feet, and completely enveloping 
them, being tied close under the chin, and 
bound with a girdle of the same cloth or a 
sea otter skin around their waists ; it has al 
so loose sleeves which reach to the elbows 
Though fond of ornamenting their person; 
they are by no means so partial to paint 'u: 
the men, merely colouring their eye-browi 
black and drawing a bright red stripe fron 
each corner of the mouth towards the ear 
Their ornaments consist chiefly of ear rings 
necklaces, bracelets, rings for the fingeri 
and ancles, and small nose jewels, (the lat 
ter are howtver wholly confmed to the wive: 
of the king or chiefs) these are principal 
ly made out of copper or brass, highly pol 
ished and of various forms and sizes 
the nose jewel is usually a small whit( 
shell or bead suspended to a thread. Th( 
wives of the common people frequentl; 
wear for bracelets and ancle rings, strips o 
the country cloth or skin of the Metameltl 
,J^r^*^ted in figures, and those of the kinj 
^i{ principal chiefs bracelets and necklaces 
rjinsisting of a number of strings of Jje 
md V. an article much prized by them, an< 
■' '^vN^s a very handsome appearatice 
J. ^ 



76 

This Ife^wmv, ias they term it, is a kind A 
of shell of a dazzling whiteness, and as 
smooth as ivory, it is of a cylindrical form, 
in a slight degree curved, about the size of 
a goose quill, hollow, three inches in length 
and gradually tapering to a point, which is 
brokien off by the natives as it is taken from 
the water ; this they afterwards string upon 
threads of bark, and sell it by the fathom ; 
it forms a kind of circulating medium among 
these nations, live fathoms being considered 
as the price of a slave their most valuable 
species of property. It is principally ob- 
tained from the Aitizzarts, a people living 
about thirty or forty miles to the Northward, 
who collect it from the reefs and suiilten 
Tocks with which their coast abounds, though 
it is also brought in considerable quantity 
from the South. Their mode of taking it 
lias been thus described to me. To one end 
^"of a pole is fastened a piece of plank in 
v^'hich a considerable number of pine pegs 
are inserted made sharp at the ends ; above 
the plank in order to sink it, a stone or 
.ome weight is tied, and the other end of 
Lhe pole suspended to a lung rope ; this is 
let down perpendicularly by the IJe-ivaw 
fishers in those places where that subst;*^ ;;'^ 
is found which are usually from fifty to^^ 
ty fathoms deep ; on finding the botf' 
they raise fhe pole up a few feet and 
fail*, this they repeat a oiuDber f^'.t^^f^ 



77 

sounding, when they draw it up and take of£ 
the Ife-waw which is found adhering to Jhe 
points. This method of procuring it is v^ry 
laborious and fatiguing, especially as they 
seldom take more than two or three of these 
shells at a time, and frequently none. 

Though the women, as I have said, make 
but little use of paint, the very reversals the 
case with the men. In decorating their 
heads and faces they place their principal 
pride, and none of our most fashionible 
beaus, when preparing for a grand ball can 
be more particular : For 1 have known ^^* 
quina after having been employed for i;^^^ 
than an hour in painting his face, rul^^^^ 
whole off and recommence the oper'^^* 
anew when it did not entirely please "^' 
The manner in which they paint ihen;^^^"' 
frequently varies, according to t)M: occa^*^^' 
but it oftener is the mere dictate of whim.— 
The most usual method is to paint the eye- 
brows black, in form of a half moon, and 
the face red in small squares, with the arms 
and legs and part of the body red ; some- 
times one half of the face is painted red in 
squares, and the other black ; at others, dot- 
ted with red spots, or red and black instead 
of squares, with a variety of other devices, 
such as painting one half of the face and bo- 
dy red, and the other black. But a method . 
of painting which they sometimes employed, 
usd whiich they were much more oarticulai: 



78 

in, was by laying on the face a quantity of 
bear's grease of about one eighth of an inch 
thick ; this they raised up into ridges resem- 
bling a small be^ad in joiner's work, with a 
stick prepared for the purpose, and then 
painted them red, which gave the face a very 
singular appearance. On extraordinary oc- 
casio^is, the king and principal chiefs used 
to strew over their faces, after painting, a fine 
black shining powder, procured from some 
mineral, as Maquina told me it was got from 
the rocks. This they call pelpelth, and 
alue it highly, as, in their opinion, it serves 
set off their looks to great advantage, glit- 
ig, especially in the sun, like silver.— 
* article is brought them in bags by the 
chemass, a very savage nation who live a 
»vay to the North, from whom they like- 
rec^ive a superior kind of red paint, a 
.^pecies of very fine and rich ochre, which 
they hold in much estimation. 

Notwithstanding this custom of painting 
themselves, they make it an invariable prac- 
tice, both in summer and winter, to bathe 
once a day, and sometimes oftener ; but as 
the paint is put on with oil, it is not much 
discomposed thereby, and whenever they 
wish to wash it off, they repair to some piece 
of fresh water and scour themselves with 
sand or rushes. 

In dressing their heads on occasion of c 
festival or visit, they are full as partici^^^r 



79 

and almost as long, as in painting. The 
hair, after being well oiled, is carefully gath- 
ered upon the top of the head and secured 
by a piece of pine or spruce bough with the 
green leaves upon it. After having it prop- 
erly fixed in this manner, the king and prin- 
cipal chiefs used to strew all over it the white 
down obtained from a species of large brown 
eagle, which abounds on this coast, which 
they are very particular in arranging so as 
not to have a single feather out of place, oc- 
casionally wetting the hair to make it adhere. 
This, together with the bough, which is some- 
times of considerable size, and stuck over 
with feathers by means of turpentine, gives 
them a very singular and grotesque appear- 
ance, which they, however, think very be- 
coming, and the first thing they do on learn- 
ing the arrival of strangers is to go and dec- 
orate themselves in this manner. 

The men also wear bracelets of painted 
leather or copper, and large ear-rings or <he 
latter— but the ornament on which, they ap 
pear to set the most value, is the nose-jewel^ 
if such an appellation may be given to the 
wooden stick, which some of them employ 
for this purpose. The king and chiefs, 
however, wear them of a diflferent form, be- 
ing either small pieces of polished copper or 
brass, of which I made many for them, in 
ithe shape of hearts and diamonds, or a 
^>vi^tr d conical shell about half an inch m 



80 

length of a bliu ish colour and very bright,, 
which is brought from the S:^;ith. These 
are suspended by a small wire or string to 
the hole, in the gristle of the nose, which is 
formed in infancy, by boreins: it with a pin, 
the bole being afterwards enlariied by the re- 
peated insertion of wooden pe,2:s of an in- 
Qljeased size, until it becomes about the di- 
ameter of a pipe stem, though some have 
them of a size nearly sufficient to admit the 
little finger. — ^The common class who can- 
not readily procure the more expensive jew- 
els tiiBtlhavementionedjSubstituteforthera, 
usually, a smooth round stick, some of which 
are of an almost incredible length, for I have 
seen them projecting not less than eight or 
nine inches beyond the face on each side ; 
this is made fast or secured in its place by 
little wedges on each side of it. These 
sprit-sail-yard fellows, as my mess-mate us- 
ed to call them, when rigged out in this 
niyenler made quite a strange show, and 
K was his delight whenever he saw one of 
them coming towards us with an air of con- 
sequence proportioned to the length of his 
stick, to put up his hand suddenly as he was 
passing him, so as to strike the stick, in or- 
der, as he said, to brace him up sharp to the 
wind ; this used to make them very angry, 
but nothing was more remote from Thomp- 
.^on's ideas than the wish to cuUivat-- o^^r 
favour. 



81 

The natives of Nootka appear to have bul 
little inclination for the chace, though some 
of them were expert markesmen, and used 
sometimes to shoot ducks and geese, but the 
seal and the sea -otter form the principal ob- 
jects of their hunting, particularly the latter. 
Of this animal, so much noted for its vakwi- 
ble skin the following description may m)t 
be uninteresting. The sea-otter is nearly 
five feet in length, exclusive of the tail, which 
is about twelve inches, and is very thick and 
broad where it joins the body, but gradually 
tapers to the end, which is tipped with white. 
The colour of the rest is a shining silky 
black, with the exception of a broad white 
stripe on the top of the head. Nothing can 
be more beautiful than one of these animals 
when seen swimming, especially when 
the lookout for any object. At such /'^i 
it raises its head quite above the surf^ /^,,* 
the contrast between the shiniijg bla^-* is 
the white, together with its sharp ears anu^ 
long tuft of hair rising from the middle of 
its forehead, which look like three small 
horns, render it quite a novel and attractive 
object. They are in general very tmie, and 
will permit a canoe or boat to approach very 
neaiT before they dive. I was told, however, 
ihnt they are become much more shy since 
i} hy have been accustomed to shoot them 
iAcilh muskets, than when they used only ar 
^0 t%s. The skin is held in great estimation 
'^»ina, more especially that of the tail, the 



82 

fur of which is finer and closer set than that 
on the body. This is always cut off and 
sold separately by the natives. The value 
of a skin is determined by its size, that be- 
ing considered asapiime skin which will 
reach, in length, from a man's chin to his feet 
"H^ food of the sea-otter is fish, which he 
is very dexterous in taking:, being an excel- 
lent swimmer, with feet webbed like those 
of a goose. — They appear to be wholly con- 
fined to the sea-coast, at least to the salt wa- 
ter. They have usually three or four young 
at a time,butl know not how often they breed, 
Borin what places they deposit their young, 
though I have frequently seen them swim- 
ming around the mother when no larger than 
rats. The flesh is eaten by the natives, cook- 
' in their usual mode by boiling, and is far 
rable to that of the seal of which they 

nuch account. 
A if not great hunters there are few peo- 
ple more expert in fishing. Their lines are 
generally made from the sinew of the whale, 
and are extremely strong. For the hook, 
they usually make vise of a strait piece of 
iiard wood, in the lower part of which is in- 
serted and well secured, with thread or 
whale sinew, a bit of bone made very s^arp 
at the point and bearded ; but I uset^ tc 
make for them hooks from iron, which t 
preferred, not only as being less liai)!4 
break, but more certain of securing the 



83 

Cod, halibut, and other sea fish were not on- 
ly caught by them with hooks, but even sal- 
mon. To take this latter fish, they practise 
the following method — One person seats 
himself in a small canoe, and baiting his 
hook with a sprat, which they are alwavs 
careful to procure as fresh as possible, fastafe 
his line to the handle of the paddle ; this, as 
he plies it in the water, keeps the fish in con- 
stant motion, so as to give it the appearance 
of life, which the salmon seeing, leaps at it 
and is instantly hooked, and by a sudden 
and dexterous motion of tjie paddle, drawn 
on board. I have known some of the na- 
tives take no less than eight or ten salmon of 
a morning in this manner, and have seen 
from twenty to thirty canoes at a time in 
Friendly Cove thus employed. They are 
likewise little less skilful in taking the whale. 
This they kill wirh a kind of javelin or h'^^^ 
poon, thus constructed and fitted, 
barbs are formed of bone which are sharp- 
ened on the outer side and hollowed within 
for the purpose of forming a socket for the 
stati ; these are then secured firmly togeth- 
er with whale sinew, the point being fitted 
so as to receive a piece of muscle shell which 
is ground to a very sharp edge, and se- 
cured in its place by means of turpentine. 
To this head or prong is fastened a strong 
linr of whale sinew about nine feet in length/ 
to the end of which is tied a bark rope from 



My to sixty fathoms long, having from 
twenty to thirty seal skin floats or buoys, 
attached to it at certain intervals, in order 
to check the motion of the whale and ob- 
struct his diving. In the socket of the har- 
p^n a staff or pole of about ten feet long, 
^dually tapering from the middle to each 
end, is placed ; this the harpooner holds in 
his hand in order to strike the whale, and im- 
mediately detaches it as soon as the fish is 
struck. The whale is considered as the 
kings fish, and no other person, when he is 
•present, is permitted to touch him until the 
ifoyal harpoon has first drawn his blood, how- 
ever near he may approach ; and it would be 
considered almost as sacrilege for any of the 
jommon people to strike a whale, before he 
iS killed, particularly if any of the chiefs 
'il- Al be present. They also kill the por- 
^and sea cow with harpoons, but this 
^drior game is not interdicted the lower 

With regard to their canoes, some of the 
handsomest to be found on the whole coast 
are made at Nootka, though very fine ones 
are brought by the Wickanninish and the 
Klaiz-zarts, who have them more highly or- 
namented. They are of all sizes, from #uch 
as are capable of holding only erne pcrsoB to 
their largest war canoes wkich v.ill c^^ijff^.-, 
forty men, and are ex tremefy light. :t>f 
these, the largest of any that I ever gaw, 



was one belonging to Maquina, which I 
measured and found to he forty-two feet six 
inches in length at the bottom, diwd forty -six 
feet from stem to stern. These are made of 
pine hollowed out from a tree with their 
chizzels solely, which are about three inch- 
es broad and six in length, and set into a 
handle of very hard wood. This instrument 
was formerly made of flint or some hard 
stone ground down to as sharp an edge as 
p(»ssible, but since they have learned the use 
of iron, they have almost all of them of that 
metal. Instead of a mallet for striking this 
chizzel, they make use of a smooth round 
stone, which they hold in the palm of the 
hand. With this same awkward instriunent 
they not only excavate their canoes and 
trays and smooth their plank, but cut down 
such trees as they want, either for building, 
fuel, or other purposes, a labour which is 
mostly done by their slaves. 

The falling of trees as practised by them 
is a slow anci most tedious process, three of 
them being generally from two to three days, 
in cutting down a large one, yet so attacked 
were they to their own method, that not- 
withstanding they saw Thompson frequent- 
ly with one of our axes, of which there was 
a number saved, fall a tree in less time than 
th^y could have gone round it w ith their 
ebisSzels, still tbey could not be persuaded to 
make use of them. 

H 



80 

After hollowing out their canoes, which 
lliey do very neatly, they fashion the out- 
side, and slightly burn it for the purpose of 
removing any splinters or small points that 
might obstruct its passage through the wa- 
ter, after which they rub it over thoroughly 
with rushes or coarse mats in order to 
smooth it, which not only renders it almost 
as smooth as glass, but forms a better secu- 
rity for it from the weather ; this operation 
of burning and rubbing down the bottoms 
of their canoes is practised as often as they 
acquire any considerable degree of rough- 
ness from use. The outside, by this means, 
becomes quite black, and to complete their 
work they paint the inside of a bright red, 
with ochre or some other similar substance ; 
the prows and sterns are almost always or- 
, nam en ted with figures of ducks or some oth- 
er kind of bird, the former being so fashion- 
ed as to represent the head and the latter the 
tail, these are separate pieces from the canoe 
and are fastened to it with small flexible 
twigs or bark cord. Some of these canoes, 
particularly those employed in whaling, 
v/hich will hold about ten men, are orna- 
mented within about two inches below the 
gunwale, with two parallel lines on each 
side of very small white shells running fore 
and aft, which has a very pretty effect. 
Their war canoes have no ornament of thie 
kiad but are painted on the outside with 



87 

iigures in white chalk representing eagks, 
whales, human heads, &c. They are very 
dexterous in the use of their paddles, which 
are very neatly wrought, and are five feet 
long with a short handle and a blade seven 
inches broad in the middle tapering to a 
sharp point. With these they will make a 
canoe skim very swiftly on the water with 
scarcely any noise,^ while they keep time to 
the stroke of the paddle with their songs. 

With regard to these they have a number 
which they sing on various occasions ; as 
war* whaling, and fishing, at their marriages 
and feasts, and at public festivals or solem- 
nities. The language of the most of these 
appears to be very different, in many res- 
pects, from that used in their common con- 
versation, which leads me to believe either 
that they have a different mode of expres- 
sing themselves in poetry, or that they bor- 
row their songs from their neighbours, and 
what the more particularly induces me to the 
latter opinion, is, that whenever any of the 
Newchemass, a people from the Northward 
and who speak a very different language, ar- 
rived, they used to tell me that they expect- 
ed a new song, and were almost always sure 
to have one. 



* A specimen of one of their war songs will be found at the 
«7rd of this work. 



88 

Their tunes are generally soft and plain- 
tive, and though not possessing great varie- 
ty, are not deficient in harmony. — Their sing- 
ings generally accompanied with several 
rude kinds of instrumental music ; among 
the most prominent of which is a kind of 
drum. This is nothing more than a long 
plank hollowed out on the under side and 
made quite thin, which is beat upon by a 
stick of about a foot long and renders a 
sound not unlike beating on the head of an 
empty cask, but much louder. But the two 
most favourite instruments are the rattle and 
the pipe or whistle ; these are however only 
used by the king, the chiefs, or some partic- 
ular persons ; the former is made of dried 
seal-skin, so as to represent a fish, and is 
filled with a number of small smooth peb- 
bles, it has a short handle and is painted red. 
The whistle is made of bone, generally the 
leg of a deer, it is short but emits a very shrill 
sound. They have likewise another kind of 
music, which they make use of in dancing, 
in the manner of castanets, this is pro<Jliced 
by a number of muscle or cockle shells tied 
together and shaken to a kind of tune, which 
is accompanied with the voice. 

Their slaves, as I have observed, form 
lieir most valuable species of property. — 
riiese are of both sexes, being either cap- 
tives taken by themselves in war, or purchas- 
ed from the neighbouring tribes, and who 



89 

reside in the same bouse, forming as it were 
a part of the family, are usually kindly treat- 
ed, eat of the same food, and live as well as 
their masters. They are compelled howev- 
er at times to labour severely, as not only 
all the menial offices are performed by them, 
such as bringing water, cutting wood and a 
variety of others, but they are obliged to 
make the canoes, to assist in building and 
repairing the houses, to supply their masters 
with fish, and to attend them to war and to 
fight for them. None but the king and 
chiefs have slaves, the common people being 
prevented from holding them either from 
their inability to purchase them, or as I am 
the rather inclined to think from its being 
considered as the privilege of the former 
alone to have them, especially a« all those 
made prisoners in war belong either to the 
king or the chiefs, who have captured them^ 
each one holding such as have been taken 
by himself or his slaves. There is probably 
however some little distinction in favour of 
the king, who is always the commander of 
the expedition, as Maquina had nearly fi^ty, 
.male and female, in his house, a number con- 
stituting about one half of its inhabitants, 
comprehending those obtained by war and 
purchase, whereas none of the other chiefs 
had more than twelve. The females are 
employed principally in manufacturing cloth, 
•n cooking, collecting berries, &c. and with 
h2 



90 

regard to food and living in general have not 
a much harder lot than their nnistresses, 
the principal difference consisting, in these 
poor unfortunate creatures being considered 
as free to any one, their masters prostituting 
them whenever they think proper for the 
purpose of gain. In this way many of them 
are brought on board the ships and offered 
to the crews, from whence an opinion ap- 
pears to have been formed by some of our 
navigators, injurious to the chastity of their 
females, than which nothing can be more 
generally untrue, as perhaps in no part of 
the world is that virtue more prized. 

The houses at Nootka as already stated, 
are about twenty, without comprising those 
inhabited by the Klahars, a small tribe that 
has been conquered and incorporated into 
that of Nootka, though they must be con- 
sidered as in a state of vassalage as they are 
not permitted to have any chiefs among 
them, and live by themselves in a cluster of 
«mall houses at a little distance from the vil- 
lage. The Nootka tribe which consists of 
about five hundred warriors, is not only more 
numerous than almost any of the neighbour- 
ing tribes, but far exceeds them in the 
strength and martial spirit of its people ; 
and in fact there are but few nations within a 
hundred miles either to the North or South 
but are considered as tributary to them/ 

In giving some account of the tribes that 
were accustomed to visit Nootka, I shall 



01 

commence at the Southv/ard with the Kia- 
iz-zarts, and the Wickinninish, premising 
that in point of personal appearance there 
prevails a wonderful diversity between the 
various tribes on the coast, with the excep- 
tion of the feet and legs, which are badly 
shaped in almost all of them from their prac- 
tice of sitting on them. The Kla-iz-zarts 
are a numerous and powerful tribe, living 
nearly three hundred miles to the South, and 
are said to consist of more than a thousand 
warriors. They appear to be more civil- 
ized than any of the others, being better 
and more neatly dressed, more mild and af- 
fable in their manners, remarkable for their 
sprightliness and vivacity, and celebrated 
for their singing and dancing. They exhib- 
it also great marks of improvement in what- 
ever is wrought by them ; their canoes 
though not superior to those of Nootka in 
point of form and lightness, being more high- 
ly ornamented, and their weapons and tools 
of every kind have a much higher finish and 
display more skill in the workmanship. 
Their cast of countenance is very different 
from that of the Nootkians, their faces being 
very broad, with a less prominent nose and 
smaller eyes, and the top of the head flatten- 
ed as if it had been pressed down with a 
weight. Their complexion is also much 
faii-er, and their stature shorter, though they 
^re well formed and strongly set. They 



92 

Save a custom which appears to be pecul- 
iar to them, as 1 never observed it in any o£ 
the other tribes, which is to pluck out not 
only their beards, and the hair from their 
bodies, but also their eye-brows, so as not to 
leave a vestige remaining. They were also 
in general more skilful in painting and dec- 
orating themselves, and I have seen some of 
them with no less than a dozen holes in 
each of their ears to which were suspended 
strings of small beads about two inches in 
length. Their language is the same as spo- 
ken at Nootka, but their pronunciation is 
much more hoarse and guttural. These 
people are not only very expert in whaling, 
but are great hunters, of the sea otter and 
other animals, with which their country is 
said to abound, as the Metamelth a large aur 
imal of the deer kind, the skin of which I 
have already spoken of, another of a light 
grey colour, with very fine hair from which 
they manufacture a handsome cloth, the 
beaver, and a species of large wild cat, or 
tyger cat. 

The Wickinninish, their neighbours on the 
North, are about two hundred miles from ^^ 
Nootka. They are a robust, strong and^ 
warlike people, but considered by the Noot- 
kiatis as their inferiors in courage. This 
iribe is more numerous than that of Noot- 
ka, amounting to between six and seven hun- 
dred warriors. Though not so civilized ?^ 



93 

the Kla-iz-zarts and less skilful in their man 
jifactiires, like them they employ them- 
selves in hunting as well as in whaling and 
fishing. Their faces are broad but less so 
than the Kla-iz-zarts, with a darker com- 
plexion, and a much less open and pleasing 
expression of countenance, while their heads 
present a very different form, being pressed 
in at the sides and lengthened towards the 
top, somewhat in the shape of a sugar loaf. 
These people are very frequent visitors at 
Nootka, a close friendship subsisting be- 
tween the two nations, Maquina's Arcomah, 
or Queen, Y-ya-lintla^no, being the daugh- 
ter, of the Wickinninish king. The Kla-oo- 
quates adjoining them on the North are 
much less numerous, their force not exceed- 
ing four hundred fighting men ; they are 
also behind them in the arts of life. These 
are a fierce, bold, and enterprizing peo- 
ple, and there were none that visited Noot- 
ka, whom Maquina used to be more on his 
guard against, or viewed with so much sus- 
picion. The Eshquates are about the same 
number ; these are considered as tributa- 
ry to Maquina : Their coast abounds with 
rivers, creeks, and marshes. To the North 
the nearest tribe of any importance is the 
Aitizzarts ; these however do not exceed 
three hundred warriors. In appearance 
they greatly resemble the people of Noot- 
ka^. to whom they are considered as tribu- 



94 

lary, their manners, dress, and style of liv- 
ing also bein^ very similar. They reside at 
about forty miles distance up the sound. A 
considerable way farther to the northward 
are the Cayuquets ; these are a much more 
numerous tribe than that of Nootka but 
thought by the latter to be deficient in cour- 
age and martial spirit, Maquina having fre- 
quently told me that their hearts were little 
like those of birds. 

There are also both at the North and 
South many other intervening tribes, but in 
general small in number and insignificant, all 
of whom as well as*the above mentioned 
speak the same language. But the Newche- 
mass who come from a great way to the 
Northward, and from some distance inland, 
as I was told by Maquina, speak quite a dif- 
ferent language, although it is well under- 
stood by those of Nootka. These were the 
most savage looking and ugly men that I ev- 
er saw, their complexion being much darker, 
their stature shorter, and their hair coarser, 
than that of the other nations, and their 
dress and appearance dirty in an extreme. 
They wear their beards long like Jews, and 
have a very morose and surly countenance. 
Their usual dress is a Kootsuck mididq o( 
wolf skin, with a number of the tails attach- 
ed to it, of which I have seen no less than 
ten on one garment, hanging from the top to 
the bottom ; though they sometimes wear ssi 



95 

similar mantle of bark cloth, of a mudi 
coarser texture than that of Nootka, the ori- 
ginal colour of which appears to be the same, 
though from their very great filthiness it was 
almost impossible to discover what it had 
been. Their mode of dressing their hair al- 
so varies essentially from that of the other 
tribes, for they suffer that on the bark of the 
head to hang loose, and bind the other over 
their foreheads in the manner of a fillet, with 
a strip of their country cloth, ornamented 
with small white shells. Their weapons are 
the Clieetoolth, or war club, which is made 
from whale bone, daggers, bows and arrows, 
and a kind of spear pointed with bone o¥ 
copper. They brought with them no furs 
for sale, excepting a few wolf skins, their 
merchandize conststing principally of the 
black shining mineral called pelpelth, and 
the fine red paint which they carefully kept 
in close mat bags, some small dried salnum, 
clams, and roes of fish, with occasionally a 
little coarse matting cloth. They were ac- 
customed to remain a much longer time at 
Nootka than the other tribes, in order to re- 
cover from the fatigue of a long journey, 
part of which was over land, and on these 
occasions taught their songs to our savages. 
The trade of most of the other tribes with 
Nootka, was principally train oil, seal or 
whale's bluW^, fish fresh or dried, herring 
or fcialmon ^pPn, clams, and muscles, and 



96 

the ^ama, a species of fruit which is pressed 
and dried, cloth, sea otter skins, and slaves. 
From the Aitizzarts, and the Cayuquets, 
particularly the former, the best I whaw 
and in the greatest quantities was obtained. 
The Eshquates furnished us with wild 
ducks and geese, particularly the lattgl*!^^ 
The Wirkinninish and Kla-iz-zarts brouglif 
to market many slaves, the best sea otter 
skins, great quantities of oil, w hale sinew, 
and cakes of the yama, highly ornamented 
canoes, some 1-whaw, red ochre and pel- 
pelth of an inferior quality to that obtained 
from the JNewchema^s, but particularly the 
so much valued MetameUh, and an excellent 
root called by the Kla-iz zarts Quawnoose, 
This is the size of a small onion, but rather 
longer, being of a tapering form like a pear, 
and of a browiiish colour. It is cooked by 
steam, is always brought in baskets ready 
prepared for eating, and is in truth a very 
fine vegetable, being sweet, mealy and of a 
most agreeable flavour. It was highly es- 
teemed by the natives who used to eat it as 
they did every thing else with train oil. — 
From the Kla-iz-zarts was also received^ 
though in no great quantity, a cloth manu- 
factured by them frr>m the fur already spo- 
ken of, which feels like wool and is of a grey 
colour. 

Many of the articles thus ^j^ught, par- 
ticiUarly the provisions, were^Bisidered as 



97 

presents, or tributary offerings, but this must 
be viewed as little more than a nominal ac- 
knowledgment of superiority, as they rarely 
failed to get the full amount of the value of 
their presents. Ihaveknoun eighteen of 
the great tubs, in which they keep their 
provisions, filled with spawn brought in 
this way. On these occasions a great 
feast is always made, to which not only the 
strangers, but the whole village, men, wo- 
men, and children are generally invited, and 
I have seen five of the largest tubs employ- 
ed at such time in cooking at the king's 
house. At these feasts they generally in- 
dulge in eating to an excess, making up in 
this respect for their want of inebriating 
liquors, which they know no method of pre- 
paring in any form, their only drink being 
water. 

Whenever they came to visit or trade it 
was their general custom, to stop a few miles 
distant under the lee of some bluff or rockj 
and rig themselves out in their best manner, 
by painting and dressing their heads. On 
their first coming on shore, they were invit- 
ed to eat by the king, when they brought to 
him, such articles as he wanted, after which 
the rest of the inhabitants were permit- 
ted to purchase, the strangcss being care- 
ful to keep them in their canoes until sold, 
under strict guard to prevent their being 
stolen, the dp)osition of these people f(y: 



theiviiJg being' so great, that it is necessai*y 
to keep a watchful eye upon them. 

This was their usual mode of traffick, but 
whenever they wished to purchase any par- 
ticular object, as for instance, a certain 
slave, or some otlier thing of which they 
were very desirous, the canoe that came for 
this purpose would lie off a little distance 
from the shore, and a kind of embassador or 
representative of the king &r chief by whom 
it was sent, dressed in their best manner, 
and with his head covered with the white 
down, would rise, and after making known 
the object of his mission in a pompous 
speech, hold up specimens of such articles 
as he was instructed to offer in payment, 
mentioning the number or quantity of each, 
when if the bargain was concluded, the ex- 
:^hange was immediately made. 

On their visits of friendship or traffick, 
the chiefs alone used to sleep on shore, this 
"was generally at the house of the king or 
head chief, the others passing the night on 
board of their canoes, which was done not 
only for the preservation of their property, 
but because they were not permitted to re- 
main on shore, lest they might excite some 
disturbance or commit depredations. 

All these people generally go armed, the 
common class wearing only a dagger sus- 
pended from their neck behind, with a string 
of metamelth, and sometimes Jtoust in their 



99 

girdles. The chiefs in addition to the dag- 
ger carry the chetoollh, or war- club sus- 
pended in the same manner beneath their 
mantles, this in the hands of a strong man 
is a powerful weapon, in the management of 
which, some of the older chiefs are very dex~ 
terous. It is made from the bone of a whale, 
and is very heavy. The blade is about 
eighteen inches long and three broad, till 
it approaches near the point, where it ex- 
pands to the breadth of four inches, lo 
the middle, from whence it slopes off grad- 
ually to an edge on each side, it is from 
one to two inches in thickness. This blade 
is usually covered with figures of the sun 
and moon, a man's head, &c, and the hilt 
which is made to represent the head of a 
man or some animal, is curiously set with 
small white shells, and has a band of meta- 
melth fastened to it in order to sling it over 
the shoulder. Some of the tribes have also 
a kind of spear headed with copper or the 
bone of the sting ra}^ which is a dangerous 
weapon ; this is however not usual, and on- 
ly carried by the chiefs. The bow and ar^ 
row are still used by a few, but since the in- 
troduction of fire arms among them, this 

yeapon has been mostly laid asuJe. 

Biit to return to our unhappy situation. 
Though oiy comrade and myself fared as 

/dj, and ey^n better than we could have ex 
pected among these people, considering their 



100 

customs and mode of living, yet our fears 
lest no ship would come to our release, and 
that we should never more behold a Chris- 
tian country, were to us a source of constant 
pain. Our principal consolation in this 
gloomy state, was to go on Sundays, when- 
ever the weather would permit, to the bor- 
ders of a fresh water pond, about a mile 
from the village, where, after bathing, and 
putting on clean clothes, we would seat 
ourselves under the shade of a beautiful 
pine, while I read some chapters in the Bi- 
ble, and the prayers appointed by our Church 
for the day, ending our devotions with a fer- 
vent prayer to the Almighty that he would 
deign still to watch over and preserve our 
lives, rescue us from the hands of the sava- 
ges, and permit us once more to behold a 
Christian land. In this manner were the 
greater part of our Sundays passed at Noot- 
ka ; and I felt grateful to heaven, that amidst 
our other sufferings, we were at least allow- 
ed the pleasure of offering up our devotions 
miniolested, for Maquina, on my explaining 
,0 him as well as was in my power the rea- 
son of our thus retiring at this time, far from 
objecting, readily consented to it.. The 
pond above mentioned was small, not more 
than a quarter of a mile in breadth and of 
no great length, the water being very cl^ar, 
though not of great depth, and bordered by 
a beautiful forest of pine, fir, elm, and beach, 



101 

ftee from bushes and finder wood — a most 
delightful retreat, which was rendered still 
more attractive by a great number of birds 
that frequented it, particularly the humming 
bird. Thither we used to go to wash our 
clothes, and felt secure from any intrusion 
from the natives, as they rarely visited it ex- 
cept for the purpose of cleansing themselves 
of their paint. 

In July we at length thought that the hope 
of delivery we had so long anxiously in- 
dulged, was on the point of beinj^ gratified. 
A ship appeared in the offing, but alas, our 
fond hopes vanished almost as soon as form- 
ed ; for instead of standing in for the shore 
she passed to the northward and soon disap- 
peared. I shall not atteujpt to describe our 
disappointment— my heart sunk within me, 
and I felt as though it was my destiny nev- 
er more to behold a Christian face. Four 
days after there occurred a tremendous 
storm of thunder and lightning, during 
which the natives manifested great alarm ethd 
terror, the whole tribe, hurrying to \la(|ui- 
na's house, where, instead of keeping within, 
they seated themselves on the roof amid the 
severest of the tempest, drumming upon 
the boards, and looking up to heaven, while 
the king beat the long hollow plank, singing 
and, as he afterwards told me, be«^ging Qua- 
kvotze, the name they give to God, not to 
MU them, in which he was accompanied 
I 2 



102 

by the whole tribe ; this singing and drum- 
ming was continued until the storm abated. 
As the summer drew near its close, we 
began to suffer from the frequent want of 
food, which w^as principally owing to Ma- 
quina and the chiefs being out whaling, in 
which he would not permit Thompson and 
myself to join, lest we should make our es* 
cape to some of the neighbouring tribes. 
At these times the women seldom or ever 
cook any provision, and we were often hun- 
gry, but were sometimes fortunate enough to 
procure secretly, a piece of salmon, some 
other fish, spawn, or even blubber, which, 
by boiling in salt water, with a few onions 
and turnips, the remains of the Spanish 
garden, or young nettles and other herbs, 
furnished us a delicious repast in private. 
In the mean time, we frequently received ac • 
counts from the tribes who came to Nootka, 
both from the north and south, of there be- 
ing vessels on the coast, and were advised 
by their chiefs to make our escape, who also 
promised us their aid, and to put us on 
board. These stories, however, as I after- 
wards learne<l, were almost all of them 
without any foundation, and merely invent- 
ed by these people with a view to get us into 
their power in order to make slaves of us 
themselves, or to sell us to others. But I 
was still more strongly solicited to leave 
TS^ootka by a woman. This was a Wicki^'?. 



103 

ninish princess, a younger sister of Ma- 
quina*s wife, who was there on a visit. I 
had the good fortune, if it may be so called, 
to become quite a favourite with her. She 
appeared much interested for me — asked 
me many questions respecting my country, 
if I had a mother and sister at home, and if 
they would not grieve for my absence. Her 
complexion was fairer than that of the wo- 
men in general, and her features more regu- 
lar, and she would have been quite hand- 
some had it not been for a defect in one of 
her eyes, the sight of which had been injur- 
ed by some accident, the reason, as Maqui- 
na told me why she had not been married, a . 
defect of this kind being by these savages 
considered as almost an insuperable objec- 
tion. She urged me repeatedly to return 
with her, telling me that the Wickinninish 
were much better than the Nootkians ; that 
her father would treat me more kindly than 
Maquina, give me better food and clothes, 
and finally put me on board one of ray own 
country vessels. I felt, however, little disn 
posed to accompany her, considering my 
situation with Maquina full as eligible as it 
would be with ,the Wickinninish, if not bet- 
ter, notwithstanding all she said to the con- 
trary. 

On the third of September, the whole 
tribe quitted Nootka, according to their 
constant practice^ in order to pass the au-. 



lt>4 

turan and winter at Tashees and Cooptee, 
the latter lying about thirty miles up the 
Sound in a deep bay, the navigation of which 
is very dangerous from the great number of 
reefs and rocks with which it abounds. On 
these occasions every thing is taken with 
them, even the planks of their bouses^in or- 
der to cover their new dwellings. To an 
European, such a removal exhibits a scene 
^uite novel and strange : canoes piled up 
w^ith boards and boxes, and filled with men, 
women and children of all ranks and sizes, 
making the air resound with their cries and 
songs. At these times, as well as when they 
liave occasion to go some distance from 
their houses, the infants are usually suspend- 
ed across the mothers shoulders, in a kind 
df cradle or hammock, formed of bark, of 
about six inches in depth, and of the length 
of the chijid, by means of a leather band in- 
serted thiPOugh loops on its edges ; this they 
also keep them in when at home, in order 
to preserve them in a strait position, and 
prevent any distortion of the limbs, most 
probably a principal cause of these people 
being so seldom deformed or crooked. — 
The long boat of our ship having been re= 
paired and furnished with a sail by Thomp- 
son, Maquinagave us the directioivof it, we 
being better acquainted with managing it 
than his people, and after loading her ^ 
>leep as she could 'swim, we proceed^ci i- 



.105 

company with tkem to the north, quitting 
Nootka with heavy hearts, as we could en- 
tertain no hoj3es of release until our return, 
no ships ever coming to that part of the 
coast. Passing Cooptee, which is situated 
on the southern bank, just within the mouth 
of a small river flowing from the east in a 
narrow valley at the foot of a mountain, we 
proceeded a boiit fifteen miles up this stream 
to Tashees, between a range of lofty hills on 
each side, which extend a great distance in- 
land, and are covered with the finest forest 
trees of the country. Immediately on our 
arrival, we all went to work very diligently 
in covering the houses with the planks we 
had brought, the frames being ready erected, 
these people never pretending to remove the 
timber. In a very short time the work was 
completed, and we were established in our 
new resiflence. 

Tashees is pleasantly situated,, and in a 
most secure position from the winter storms, 
in a small vale or hollow on the south shore, 
at the foot of a mountain. The spot on 
which it stands is level, and the soil very 
line, the country in its vicinity abounding 
with the most romantic views, charmingly 
diversified, and line streams of water falling 
in beautiful cascades from the mountains. 
The river at this place is about twenty rods 
in S\ idth, and, in its det pest part, from nine 
"^o twelve feet. This village is the extreme 



106 

*" 
point of navigation, as immediately beyond, 

the river becomes much more shallow, and 
is broken into rapids and falls. The houses 
here are placed in a line like those at Noot- 
ka, but closer together, the situation being 
more confined, they are also smaller, in con- 
sequence of which we were much crowded, 
and incommoded for room. 

The principal object in coming to this 
place, is the facility it affords these people 
of providing their winter stock of provisions^ 
which consists principally of salmon, and 
the spawn of that fish ; to which may b^ 
added herring and sprats, and herring spawn. 
The latter, however, is always procured by 
them at Nootka, previous to their quitting 
it. At the seasons of spawning, which are 
early in the spring and the last of August, 
they collect a great quantity of pine branch- 
es, which they place in different parts of the 
<!^ove at the depth of about ten feet and se- 
cure them by means of heavy stones. On 
these the herring deposit their spawn in im- 
mense quantities ; the bushes are then taken 
up, the spawn stripped from the branches, 
and after being washed and freed from the 
pine leaves by the women, is dried and put 
up in baskets for use. It is considered as 
their greatest delicacy, and eaten both cook- 
ed and raw : in the former case, being foil- 
ed and eaten with train oil, and in the tatter; 
mixed up \Yith cold ipater alone. 



107 

The salmon are taken at Tashees, princi- 
pally in pots or wears. Their methofi of 
taking them in wears is thus : — A pot of 
twenty feet in length, and from four to five 
feet diameter at the mouth, is formed of 
a great number of pine splinters which are 
strongly secured, an inch and a half from 
each other, by means of hoops made of flex- 
ible twigs, and placed about eight inches 
apart. At the end it tapers almost to a 
point, near which is a small wicker door, 
for the purpose of taking out the fish. This 
p6t or wear is placed at the foot of a fall 
or rapid, where the water is not very deep, 
and the fish driven from above with long 
poles, are intercepted and caught in the wear, 
from whence they are taken into the canoes. 
In this manner I have seen more than seven 
hundred salmon caught in the space of fif- 
teen minutes. I have also sometimes known 
a few of the striped bass taken in this man- 
ner, but rarely. 

At such times there is great feasting and 
merriment among them. The women and 
female slaves being busily employed m 
cooking, or in curing the fish for their win- 
ter stock, which is done by cutting off the 
heads and tails, splitting them, taking out 
the back bone, and hanging them up in their 
houses to dry. They also dry the halibut 
and 0od, but these instead of curing whole, 
they- oi^t np into snjjtU g^ieGes (or that pur jposet 



108 

and expose to the sun. The spawn of the 
salmon, which is a principal article of their 
provision, they take out, and without any 
other preparation, throw it into their tubs, 
where they leave it to stand and ferment, for 
though they frequently eat it fresh, they es- 
teem it much more when it has acquired a 
strong taste, and one of the greatest favours 
they can confer on any person, is to invite 
him to eat Quakamiss\ the name they ^give 
this food, though scarcely any thin^ can be 
more repugnant to a European palate, than 
it is in this state ; and whenever they took it 
out of these large receptacles, which they 
are always careful to till, such was the stench 
which it exhaled, on being moved, that it 
was almost impossible for me to abide it, 
even after habit, had in a great degree dul- 
led the delicacy of my senses. — When boil- 
ed it became less offensive, though it still re- 
tained much of the putrid smell and some- 
thing of the taste. 

Such is the immense quantity of these 
fish, and they are taken with such facility, 
that I have known upwards of twenty -five 
hundred brought into Maquina's house at 
once, and at one of their great feasts, have 
seen one hundred or more cooked in one of 
their largest tubs. 

I usecl frequently to go out with Maqi^ina 
upon these ftshing parties, and was al>^ays 
sure to receive a handsome present of sal- 



109 

mon, which I had the privilege of calhVig 
mine ; 1 also went with him several times in 
a canoe, to strike the sahiion, which I have 
attempted to do myself, but could never 
succeed, it requiring a degree of adroitness 
that 1 did not possess. I was also permit- 
ted to go out with a gun, and was several 
times very successful in shooting wild ducks, 
and teal, which are very numerous here, 
though rather shy. These they cooked in 
their usual manner, by boiling, without any 
farther dressing than skinning them. In ma- 
ny respects, however, our situation was less 
pleasant here than at Nootka. We were 
more incommoded for room, the houses not 
being so spacious, nor so well arranged, and 
as it was colder, we were compelled to be 
much more within doors. We however, did 
not neglect on Sundays, when the weather 
would admit, to retire into the woods, and 
by t!ie side of some stream, after bathing- 
return our thanks to God for preserving us, 
and offer up to him our customary devo- 
tions. 1 was however, verj apprehensive, 
soon after our arrival at this place, that I 
should be deprived of the satisfaction of 
keeping my journal, as Maquina one day 
observing me writing in it, enquired of me 
YflM I vvas doing, and when 1 endeavoured 
t<)( explain it, by telling him that 1 was 
keeping an account of the weather, he 
Sf^di^^^^ yvas not so, and that I was speaking 



110 

bad about him, and telling how he had taken 
our ship and killed the crew, so as to inform 
my countrymen, and that if he ever saw me 
writing in it again, he would throw it into 
the fire. 1 was much rejoiced that he did 
no more than threaten, and became very 
cautious afterwards not to let him see me 
write. 

Not long after I finished some daggers for 
him, which I polished highly ; these pleas- 
ed him much, and he gave me directions to 
make a cheetoolth, in which I succeeded so 
far to his satisfaction, that he gave me a 
present of cloth sufliicient to make me a 
complete suit of raiment, besides other 
things. Thompson, also, who had become 
rather more of a favourite than formerfy, 
since he had made a fine sail for his canoe, 
and some garments for him out of Europe- 
an cloth, about this time completed another, 
which was thought by the savages a most 
superb dress. This was a Kootsuk or man- 
tle, a fathom square, made entirely of Eu- 
ro|3ean vest patterns of the gayest colours." 
These were sewed together, in a manner to 
make the best show, and bound with a deep 
trimming of the finest otter skin, with 
which the arm-boles were also bordered ; 
while the bottom was farther embellished 
with five or six rows of gilt buttons, pimped 
as near as possible to each other. Nothing 
could exceed the pride of Maquina wheti|^ 



Ill 

first put on this royal robe, decorated like 
the coat of Joseph, with all the colors of 
the rainbow, and glittering with the buttons, 
which as he strutted about made a tinkling, 
while he repeatedly exclaimed in a trans- 
port of exultation, Kleiv shish Katsuck-^ 
wick kum atack Nootka. A fine garment — 
Nootka can't make him. 

Maquina, who knew that the chiefs of 
the tribes who came to visit us, had endeav- 
oured to persuade me to escape, frequently 
cautioned me not to listen to them, saving 
that should I make the attempt, and he 
were to take me, he should certainly put me 
to death. While here he gave me a book 
in which I found the names of seven per- 
sons belonging to the ship Manchester of 
Philadelphia, Captain Brian, viz. — Daniel 
Smith, Lewis Gillon, James Tom, Clark, 
Johnson, Ben and Jack. These men, as 
Maquina informed me, ran away from the 
ship, and came to him, but that six of them 
soon after went off in the night, with an in- 
tention to go to the Wickinninish, but were 
stopped by the Esbquiates, and sent back 
to him, and that he ordered them to be put 
to death ; and a most cruel death it was, 
as I was told by one of the natives, four njeta 
holding one of them on the ground, and 
forcing open his mouth, while they choak- 
€d him by ramming stones down his throat. 
J^^i^Q.kihehoy, who made no attempt 



112 

to go off, Maquina afterwards sold him to 
the Wickinninish. I was informed by the 
princess Ynqua, that he was quite a small 
boy, who cried a great deal, being put to 
hard labour beyond his strength by the na- 
tii:es, in cutting wood and bringing water, 
and that when he heard of the murder ojf 
our crew, it had such an effect on him that 
he fell sick and died shortly after. On 
learning the melancholy fate of this unfortu- 
nate lad, it again awakened in my bosom 
those feelings that I had experienced at the 
shocking death of my poor comrades. 

The king finding that I was desirous of 
learning their language, was much delight- 
ed, and took great pleasure in conversing 
with me. On one of these occasions, he 
' xplained to me his reasons for cutting off 
our ship, saying that he bore no ill will to 
my countrymen, but that he had been sever- 
al times treated very ill by them. The first 
injury of which he had cause to complain, 
was done him by a Captain Tawnington, 
^vho commanded a schooner which passed 
a winter at Friendly Cove, where he was 
well treated by the inhabitants. This man 
taking advantage of Maquina's absence, who 
had gone to the Wickinninish to procure a 
wife, armed himself and crew% and enter- 
ed the house where there were none hrA 
women, whom he threw into the greatest 
c^onsternation, and searching the chests?^ took 



113 

away all the skins, of which Maquina had 
no less than forty of the best ; and that 
about the same time, four of their chiefs 
were barbarously killed by a Captain Mar- 
tinez, a Spaniard. That soon after Captain 
Hanna, of the Sea-Otter, in consequence of 
one of the natives having stolen a chizzel 
from the carpenter, fired upon their canoes 
which were along side, and killed upwards 
of twenty of the natives, of whom several 
were Tyees or chiefs, and that he himself 
being on board the vessel, in order to escape 
was obliged to leap from the quarter deck, 
and swim for a long way under water. 

These injuries had excited in the breast 
of Maquina, an ardent desire of revenge, 
the strongest passion of the savage heart, 
and though many years had elapsed since 
their commission, still they were not forgot- 
ten, and the want of a favourable opportu- 
nity alone prevented him from sooner aveng- 
ing them. Unfortunately for us, the long 
wished for opportunity at length presented 
itself in our ship, which Maquina finding not 
guarded with the usual vigilance of the 
North West Traders, and feeling his desite 
of revenge rekindled by the insult offered 
him by Capt. Salter, formed a plan for at- 
tacking, and on his return, called a council 
#f his chiefs, and communicated it to them, 
^quainting them with the manner in which 
k2 



114 

he had been treated. No less desirous of 
avenging this affront offered their king, than 
the former injuries, they readily agreed to 
his proposal, which was to go on board 
without arms as usual, but under different 
pretexts, in greater numbers, and wait his 
signal for the moment of attacking their un- 
suspecting victims. The execution of this 
scheme, as the reader knows, was unhappi- 
ly too successful. And here I cannot but 
indulge a reflection that has frequently oc- 
curred to me on the manner in which our 
people behave towards the natives. For 
though they are a thievish race, yet 1 have 
no doubt that many of the melancholy dis- 
asters have principally arisen from the im- 
prudent conduct of some of the captains 
and crews of the ships employed in thi$ 
trade, in exasperating them by insulting, 
plundering, and even killing them on slight 
grounds. This, as nothing is more sacred 
with a savage than the principle of revenge, 
and no people are so impatient under in- 
vsult, induces them to wreak their vengeance 
upon the first vessel or boat's crew that of- 
fers, making the innocent too' frequently 
suffer for the wrongs of the guilty, as few 
of them know to discriminate between per- 
sons of the same general appearance, more 
especially when speaking the sanie Hn^ 
guage. And to this cause do I believe^ 
must principally be ascribed the sangui- 



115 

iiary disposition with which these people- 
are reproached, as Maquina repeatedly told 
ine that it was not his wish to hurt a white 
man, and that he never should have done it, 
though ever so much in his power, had they 
not injured him. And were the command- 
ers of our ships to treat the savages with 
rather more civility than they sometimes do, 
I am inclined to think they would find their 
account in it ; not that I should recommend 
tp them a confidence in the good faith and 
friendly professions of these people, so as 
in any degree to remit their vigilance, but 
on the contrary, to be strictly on their guard, 
and suffer but a very few of them to come 
on board the ship, and admit not many of 
their canoes along side at a time ; a precau- 
tion that would have been the means of pre- 
venting some of the unfortunate events that 
have occurred, and if attended to, may in 
future, preserve many a valuable life. Such 
a regulation too, from what I know of their 
disposition and wants, would produce no 
serious difficulty in trading with the savages, 
and they would soon become perfectly re- 
con ci led to it. 

Among the provisions which the Indians 
procure at Tashees, I must not omit men- 
tioning a fruit that is very in»portant, as 
forming a great article of their food. This 
isj what is called by them the Yama, a spe- 
cies of berry that grows in' bunches like 



116 

currants, upon a busb from two to three feet 
hit^h, with a lar^e, round and smooth leaf. 
This berry is black,, and about the size of 
a pistol shot, but of rather an oblong shape^ 
and open at the top like the blue whortle- 
berry. The taste is sweet but a little acrid, 
and when first gathered, if eaten in any great 
quantity, especially without oil, is apt to 
produce cholics. To procure it, large com- 
panies of women go out on the mountains, 
accompanied by armed men, to protect 
them against wild beasts, where they fre- 
quently remain for several "days, kindling a 
fire at night, and sheltering themselves un- 
der sheds constructed of boughs. At 
these parties, they collect great qu an titles. 
I have known Maquina's queen and her wo- 
men return loaded, bringing with them up- 
wards of twelve bushels. In order to pre- 
serve it, it is pressed in the bunches be- 
tween two planks, and dried and put away 
in baskets for use. It is always eaten with 
oil. 

Of berries of various kinds, such as straw- 
berries, rasp-berries, black-berries, &c. there 
are great quantities in the coimtry, of which 
the natives are very fond, gathering them 
in their seasons, and eating them with oil,: 
but the yama is the only one that they pre- 
serve. 

Fish is, however, their great article ol 
loodf as almost ^11 the others, excepting %c^ 



117 

yama, maybe considered as accidental." — 
They nevertheless are far from disrelishing^ 
meat, for instance, venison and bear's flesh. 
With regard to the latter, they have a most 
singular custom, which is, that any one who 
eats of it is obliged to abstain from eating 
any kind of fresh fish whatever, for the term 
of two months, as they have a superstitious 
belief, that should any of their people after 
tasting bear's flesh, eat of fresh salmon, cod, 
&c. the fish, though at ever so great a dis- 
tance oflT, would come to the knowledge of 
it, and be so much offended thereat, as not 
to allow themselves to be taken by any of 
the inhabitants. This I had an opportunity 
of observing while at Tashees, a bear hav- 
ing been killed early in December, of which 
not more than ten of the natives would eat, 
being prevented by the prohibition annexed 
to it, which also was the reason of my com- 
rade and myself not tasting it, on being told 
by Maqnina the consequence. 

As theie is something quite curious in 
their management of this animal, when they 
have killed one, 1 shall give a description of 
it. After well cleansing the bear from the 
dirt and blood, with which it is generally 
covered when killed, it is brought in and 
seated opposite the king in an upright pos- 
ture, with a chief's bonnet, wrought in 
figure?? on its head, •and its fur powdered 
oyer witb the white down. A tray of pro- 



118 

vision is then set before it, and it is invited 
by words and gestures to eat. This mock 
ceremony over, the reason of which I could 
never learn, the animal is taken and skinned, 
and the flesh and entrails boiled up into a 
soup, no part, but the paunch being re- 
jected. 

This dressing the bear as they call it, is 
an occasion of great rejoicing throughout 
the village, all the inhabitants being invited 
to a great feast at the king's house, though 
but few o( them, in consequence of the pen- 
alty, will venture to eat of the flesh, but 
generally content themselves with their fa- 
vourite dish of herring spawn and water. 
The feast on this occasion was closed by a 
dance from Sat-sat-sak-sis, in the manner I 
have already described, in the course of 
which he repeatedly shifted his mask for 
another of a different form. 

A few days after a second bear was tak- 
en, like the former by means of a trap. This 
I had the curiosity to ^o and see at the place 
where it was caught, which was in the fol- 
lowing manner. On the edge of a small 
stream of water in the mountains, which 
the salmon ascend, and near the spot where 
the bear is accustomed to watch for them, 
which is known by its track, a trap or box 
about the height of a man's head is bniU of 
posts and planks with It flat top, on which 
are laid a number of large stones ox rocks. 



119 

The top and sides are then carefully cover- 
ed with turf, so as to resemble a little mound, 
and wholly to exclude the light, a narrow 
entrance of the height of the building only 
being left, just sufficient to admit the head 
and shoulders of the beast. On the inside, 
to a large plank that covers the top, is sus- 
pended by :i strong cord a salmon, the plank 
being left loose so that a forcible pull* will 
bring it down. On coming to its usual 
haunt, the bear enters the trap, and in en- 
deavouring to pull away the fish, brings down 
the whole covering with its load of stones 
upon its head, and is almost always crushed 
to death on the spot, or so wounded as to be 
unable to escape. They are always careful 
to examine these traps every day, in order if 
a bear be caught, to bring it away, and cook 
it immediately, for it is not a little singular, 
that these people will eat no kind of meat 
that is in the least tainted, or not perfectly 
fresh, while, on the contrary, it is hardly 
possible for fish to be in too putrid a state 
for them, and I have frequently known 
them when a whale has been driven ashore, 
bring pieces of it home with them in a state 
of offensiveness insupportable to any thing 
but a crow, and devour it with high relish^ 
considering it as preferable to that which is 
fresh. 

On the morning of the 13th of December, 
comojeaced what to us appeared a most 



singular farce. Apparently without any 
previous notice, Maquina discharged a pis- 
tol close to his son*s ear, who immediately 
fell down as if killed, upon which all the 
women of the house set up a most lamenta- 
ble cry, tearing handfuls of hair from their 
heads, and exclaiming that the prince was 
dead, at the same time a great number of 
theinhabitants, rushed into the hous^ arm- 
ed with their daggers, mutkets, &c. enquir- 
ing the cause of their outcry, these were im- 
mediately followed by two others dressed in 
wolf skins, with masks over their faces re- 
presenting the head of that animal ; the lat« 
ter came in on their hands and feet in the 
manner of a beast, and taking up the prince 
carried him off upon their backs, retiringjn 
the same manner they entered. We saw 
nothing more of the ceremony, as Maquina 
came to us, and giving us a quantity of dri- 
ed provision, ordered us to quit the house 
?»nd not return to the village bef vre the expi- 
ration of seven days, for that if we appeared 
witlnn that period, he should kill us. 

At any other season of the year such an 
order would by us have been considered as 
an indulgence, in enabling us to pass our 
time in whatever way we wished, and even 
now, furnished as we were, with sufficient 
provision for that term, it was not very un- 
pleasant to us, more particularly Th(n4v^on, 
who was always desirous to keep as tniucli 



- 12 i 

49 possible out of the society and sight oi 
the natives, whom he detested. Taking 
with us our provisions, a bundle of clothes, 
and our axes, we obeyed the directions of 
Maquina, and withdrew into the woods, 
where we built ourselves a cabin to shelter 
us, with the branches of trees, and keeping 
up a good fire, secured ourselves pretty well 
from the cold. Here we passed the pre- 
scribed period of our exile, with more con- 
tent than much of the time while with them, 
employing the day in reading and praying 
for our release, or in rambling around and 
exploring the country, the soil of which we 
found to be very good, and the face of it, 
beautifully diversified with hills and vallies, 
refreshed with the finest streams of water» 
and at night enjoyed comfortable repose up- 
on a bed of soft leaves, with our garments 
spread over us to protect us from the cold. 

At the end of seven days we returnedj 
and found several of the people of A-i-tiz 
zart with their king or chief atTashees, who 
had been invited by Maquina to attend the 
close of this performance, which 1 now 
learnt was a celebration, held by them an 
niially, in honour of their god, whom they 
call Qua/ioolzey to return him their thanks 
for his past, and implore fiis future favors. 
It terminated on the 2 1st, the day after our 
feturu, with a most extraordinary exhibi- 
fion. Three men, each of whom had tvio 
I. 



122 

bayonets run through his sides, between 
the ribs, apparently regardless of the pain, 
traversed the room, backwards and forwards, 
singing war songs, and exulting in this dis- 
play of firmness. 

On the arrival of the 25th, we could not 
but call to mind, that this being Christmas, 
was in our country a day of the greatest fes- 
tivity, when our fellow countrymen assem- 
bled in their churches, were celebrating the 
goodness of God, and the praises of the 
Saviour. What a reverse did our situation 
offer — captives in a savage land, and slaves 
to a set of ignorant beings, unacquainted 
with religion or humanity, hardly were we 
permitted to offer up our devotions by our- 
selves in the woods, while we felt even grate- 
ful for this privilege. Thither with the 
king's permission, we withdrew, and after 
reading the service appointed for the day, 
sung the hymn of the Nativity, fervently 
praying that heaven in its goodness, would 
permit us to celebrate the next festival of 
tliis kind in some Christian land. On our 
return, in order to conform as much as was 
in our power to the custom of our country, 
we were desirous of having a better s^upp^ 
than usual, AVith this view we bought trofja 
one of the natives, some dried clfims and 
oil, and a root called Klelsup, whkh *w© 
cooked by steaming, and found it very j>ala» 
^able, This root consists of mauy iib^'^-' 



123 

of about six inches long, and of the size oi 
a crow quill. It is sweet, of an agreeable 
taste, not unlike the Quajioose, ^nd itis ea,- 
ten with oil. The plant that produces it I 
have never seen. 

On the 31st, all the tribe quitted Tasheeg 
for Cooptee, whither they go to pass the re- 
mainder of the winter, and complete their 
fishing, taking oflf every thing with them in 
the same manner as at Nootka. We arrived 
in a (ew hours at Cooptee, which is about 
fifteen miles, and immediately set about 
covering the houses, which was soon com- 
pleted. 

This place, which is their great herring 
and sprat fishery, stands just within the 
mouth of the river, on the same side with 
Tashees, in a very narrow valley at the foot 
of a high mountain. ThoMgh nearly as se- 
cure as Tashees from the winter storms, it 
is by no means so pleasantly situated, 
though to us it was a much more agreeable 
residence, as it brought us nearer Nootka, 
where we were impatient to return, in h/)pes 
of finding some vessel there, or hearing of 
the arrival of one near. 

The first snow that fell this season, was 
the day after our arrival, on New- Years ; a 
day that like Christmas, brought with it, 
painful recollections, but at the same time 
led us to indulge the hope of a more foftiv 
•late -vear than the last. 



124 

Early on the morning of the 7th of Jan- 
uary, Maqiiina took me with him in hisca- 
lioe on a visit to Upquesta, chi«f of the A-i- 
tiz-zarts, who had invited him to attend an 
exhibition at his village, similar to the one 
with which he had been entertained at Ta- 
.shees. This place is between twenty and 
thirty miles distant up the sound, and stands 
on the banks of a small river about the 
size of that of Cooptee, just within its en- 
trance, in a valley of much greater extent 
than that of Tashees ; it consists of four- 
teen or fifteen houses, built and disposed in 
the manner of those at Nootka. The tribe, 
which is considered as tributary to Maqui- 
na, amounts to about three hundred war-' 
riors, and the inhabitants, both men and 
Avomen, are among the best looking of any 
people on the coast. 

^- On our arrival we were received at the 
sliore by the inhabitants, a few of whom 
were armed with muskets, which they tired, 
with loud shouts and exclamations of Wo- 
cash, wocash. 

We were welcomed by the chief's messen- 
ger, or master of ceremonies, dressed in his 
best garments, with his hair powdered with 
wlwte down, and holding in his hand the 
eheetoolth, the badge of his office. This 
man preceded us to the chief's house, whe^e 
he introduced and pointed out to us eur res- 
pective seats. On entering, the visitoFS.toofc 



125 

off their hats, which th^y always wear 6n 
similar occasions, and Maquina his outer 
robes, of which he has several on whenever 
he pays a visit, and seated himself near the 
chief. As I was dressed in European 
clothes I became quite an object of curiosi- 
ty to these people, very few of whom had 
ever seen a white man. They crowded 
around me in numbers, taking hold of my 
clothes, examining my face, hands and feet, 
and even opening my mouth to see if I had 
a tongue, for notwithstanding I had by this 
time become well acquainted with their lan- 
guage, 1 preserved the strictest silence, Ma- 
quina on our first landing having enjoined 
me not to speak, until he should direct. Ha- 
ving undergone this examination for some 
time, Maquina at length made a sign to me 
to speak to them. On hearing me address^ 
them in their own language, they weregreat- 
]y astonished and delighted, and told Ma- 
quina that they now perceived that I was a 
man like themselves, except that I was white 
and looked like a seal, alluding to my blue 
jacket and trowsers, which they wanted to 
persuade me to take off, as they did not like 
their appearance. Maquina in the mean 
time gave an account to the chief, of the 
scheme he had formed for surprizing our 
ship, and the manner in which he and his- 
people had carried it into execution, with 
•iu(^h particular and horrid details of that. 
I. 2 



126 

transaction as chilled the blood in my veins. 
Trays of boiled herrinsj spawn and train oil 
were soon after brought in and placed before 
us, neither the chief or any of his people 
eating at the same time, it being contrary to 
the ideas of hospitality entertained by these 
nations, to eat any part of the food that is 
provided for strangers, always waiting until 
their visitors have finished, before they have 
their own brought in. 

The following day closed their festival 
with an exhibition of a similar kind, to 
that which had been given at Tashees, but 
still more cruel, the different tribes appear- 
ing on these occasions to endeavour to sur- 
pass each other, in their proofs of fortitude 
and endurance of pain. In the morning 
twenty men entered the chief's house, with 
each an arrow run through the flesh of his 
sides, and either arm, with a cord fastened 
to the end, which as the performers ad- 
vanced, singing and boasting, was forcibly 
drawn back by a person having hold of 
it. After this performance was closed we 
returned to Cooptee, which we reached at 
midnight, our men keeping time with their 
songs to the stroke of their paddles. 

The natives now began to take the herring 

and sprat in immense quantities, with some 

jjalmon, and there was nothing but feasting 

from morning till night. The following v^ 

he method they employ to take the herring. 



127 

A stick of about seven feet long, two inches 
broad, and half an inch thick, is formed from 
some hard wood, one side of which is- set 
with sharp teeth, made from whale bone, at 
about half an inch apart. Provided with 
this instruuient, the fisherman seats himself 
in the prow of a canoe, which is paddled 
by another, and whenever he comes to a 
shoal of herring, which cover the water in 
great quantities, he strikes it with both 
hands upon them, and at the same moment 
turning it up, brings it over the side of the 
canoe, into which he lets those that are ta- 
ken drop. It is astonishing to see how 
many are caught by those who are dexte- 
rous at this kind of fishing, as they seldom 
fail when the shoals are numerous, of taking 
as many as ten or twelve at a stroke, and in 
a very short time will fill a canoe with them. 
Sprats are likewise caught in a similar man= 
ner. 

About the beginning of Fehruary, Maqui- 
na gave a great feast, at which were pre- 
sent not only all the inhabitants, but one 
hundred persons from A-i-tiz-zart, and a 
number from Wickinnin^sh, who had been 
invited to attend it. It is customary with 
them to give an annual entertainment of this 
kind, and it is astonisiiing to see what a 
i^uantity of provision is expended, or rather 
wasted on such an occasion, when they al- 
'Vays eat to the greatest excess. It was at 



128 

this feast that I saw upwards of a hundred 
salmon oooked in one tub. The whole resi- 
dente at Oooptee presents an almost unin- 
terrupted succession of feasting and gor- 
mondizing, and it would seem as if the 
principal object of these people was to con- 
sume their whole stock of provision before 
leaving it, trusting entirely to their success 
in fishing and whaling, for a supply at 
Nootka. 

On the 25th of February, we quitted 
Coopte^^and returned to Nootka. With 
much jt>y did Thompson and myself again 
find oui'^elves in a place, where notwith- 
standing the melancholy recollections which 
it excited, we hoped before long to see some 
vessel arrive to our relief, and for this we 
became the more solicitous, as of late we 
liad become much more apprehensive of our 
safety in consequence of information brought 
Maquinaa few days before we left Cooptee, 
by some of the Cayuquets, that there were 
twenty ships at the northward preparing to 
Gome against him, with ^an intention of 
destroying him and his whole tribe, for cut- 
ting off the Boston. This story which was 
wholly without foundation, and discovered 
afterwards to have been invented by these 
people, for the purpose of disquieting him, 
threw him into great alarm, and notwitii" 
standing all I could say to convince him that 
it was an unfounded report, so great wi^^s^ 



i2d 

his jealousy of us, especially after it had 
been contirmed to him by some others of tjie 
same nation, that he treated us witli much 
harshness, and kept a very suspicious eye 
upon us. Nothing indeed could be more 
unpleasant than our present situation, when 
I reflected that our lives were altogether de- 
pendent on the will of a savage, on whose 
caprice and suspicions no rational calcula- 
tion could be made. 

Not long after our return, a son of Ma- 
quina's sister, a boy of eleven year^ old, 
who had been for some time declinini2:, 
died. Immediately on his death, 'which 
was about midnight, all the men and women 
in the house, set up loud cries and shrieks, 
which awakening Thompson and myself, so 
disturbed us tliat we left the house. This 
lamentation was kept up during the remain- 
der of the night. In the morning, a ^reat 
fire was kindled, in which Maqiiina burned 
in bonour of the deceased, ten flithoms of 
cloth, and buried with him ten fathoms 
more, eight of I-whaw, four prime sea otter 
skins, and two small trunks, containing our 
imforiunate. captain's clothes and watch. 
This boy w as considered as a Tyee or rhief, 
being the only son of Tootoosch, one of 
their principal chiefs, who had married Ma- 
quina's sister, whence arose this ceremony 
00 iijs interment ; it being an established 
custcftfe witb these people, that whenever r 



130 

chief dies, his raost valuable property m 
burned or buried with hthi ; it is, however, 
wholly confined to the chiefs, and appears 
to be a mark of honour appropriate to 
them. In this instance Maquina furnished 
the articles, in order that his nephew might 
have the proper honours rendered him. 
Tootoosch his father, was esteemed the first 
warrior of the tribe, and was one who had 
been particularly active in the destruction of 
our ship, having killed two of our poor com- 
rades,^ who were ashore, whose names were 
Hall and Wood. About the time of our 
removal to Tashees, while in the enjoyment 
of the highest health, he was suddenly seiz- 
ed with a fit of delirium, in which he fan» 
cied thiit he saw the ghosts of those two 
men constantly standing by him, and threat- 
ening iiim, so that he would take no food, 
except what was forced into his mouth. A 
short time before this, he had lost a daugh- 
ter of about fifteen years of age, which af- 
flicted him jDjreatly, and whether his insanity, 
a disorder very uncommon amongst these 
savages, no instance of the kind having oc- 
curred within the memory of the oldest man 
amongst them, proceeded from this cause, or 
that it was the special interposition of an all 
merciful God in our favour, who by this 
means thought proper to induce thesd bar*' 
barians still farther to respect our Wvfis, m 
"hat for hidden purposes, thf^ 8uprcm<^ W?' 



131 

poser of events, sometimes permits the spir- 
its of the dead to revisit the world, and 
haunt the murderer I know not^ but his mind 
from this period until his death, which took 
place but a few weeks after that of his son, 
was incessantly occupied with the images of 
the men whom he had killed. This circum- 
stance made much impression upon the 
tribe, particularly the chiefs, whose uniform 
opposition to putting us to death, at the va- 
rious councils that were held on our ac- 
count, I could not but in part attribute to 
this cause, and Maquina used frequently in 
speaking of Tootoosch's sickness, to express 
much satisfaction that his hands had not 
been stained with the blood of any of our 
men. When Maquina was first informed 
by his sister, of the strange conduct of her 
husband, he immediately went to his house, 
taking us with him ; suspecting that his dis- 
ease had been caused by us, and that the 
ghosts of our countrymen had been called 
thither by us, to torment him. ^We found 
him raving about Hall and Wc/od, saying 
that they were pesliaky that is bad. Ma- 
quina then placed some provision before 
him to see if he would eat. On perceiving 
it, he put forth his hand to take some, but 
instantly withdrew it w ith signs of horror, 
sluing that Hall and Wood were there, and 
w^ujd not let him eat. Maquina then 
poifirtiflg to us, asked if it was not John 



132 

and Thompson who troubled hin». Wik, he 
replied, that is, no, John kluskish — Thomp- 
son klushish — John and Thompson are both 
good ; then turning to me, and patting me 
on the shoulder, he made signs to me to eat. 
I tried to persuade him that Hall and Wood 
were not there, and that none were near 
him but ourselves : he said, I know very 
well you do not see them, but I do. At 
£r??t Maquina endeavoured to convince him 
that he saw nothing, and to laugh him out 
of his belief, but tindiug that all was to no 
purpose, he at length became serious, and 
asked me if 1 had ever seen any one afiect- 
ed in this manner, and what was the matter 
with him. \ gave him to understand, point- 
ing to his head, that his brain was injured, 
and that he did not see things as ibrmerly. 
Being convinced by Tooloosch's conduct, 
that we had no agency in his indispositic n, 
on our return home, Maquina asked me 
what was done in my country io similar ca- 
ses. I told him that such persons were 
closely contined, and sometimes tied up and 
whipped, in order to make them better. 
After ponderins: for sometime, he said that 
he .should be glad to^do any thing to relieve 
him».and that he should be whipped, and 
imniediately gave orders to some of hisiHeD, 
to go to Tootoosch's house, bind hiniv and 
bring him to his, in order to undergo the 
.operation. Thompson was the person ,^- 



18» 

lected to administer this remedy, which he 
undertook very readily, and for that pur- 
pose provided himself witJi a good number 
of spruce branchts, with which he whipped 
him rtiost severely, laying it on with the best 
will imaginable, while Tootoosch displayed 
the greatest rage, kicking, spitting, and at- 
tempting to bite all who came near him. 
Tiiis was too much for Maquina, who, at 
length, unable to endure it longer, ordered 
Thompson to desist, and Tootoosch to be 
carried back, saying that if there was no 
other way of curing him but by whipping, 
he must remain mad. 

The application of the whip, produced 
no beneficial effect on Tootoosch, for he af- 
terwards became still more deranged ; in his 
fits of fury sometimes seizing a club, and 
beating his slaves in a most dreadful manner, 
and striking and spitting at all who came 
near him, till at length his wife no longer 
daring to remain in the house with him, 
came with her son to Maquina s. 

The whaling season now conunenced, and 
Maquina was out almost every day in his 
canoe in pursuit of them, but for a consid 
arable time, with no success, one day break- 
ing the staff of his harpoon, anoiber, after 
having been a lonjj time fast to a whale, the 
weapon drawing, owing to the breaking of 
the shell which formed its point, -at ith sever 
al such likti accidents, arising from the hv- 
M 



134 

perfection of the instrument. At these 
times he always returned very morose and 
out of temper, upbraiding his men with hav- 
ing violated their obligation to continence 
preparatory to whaling. In this statje of ill 
humour he would give us very little to eat, 
which added to the women not cooking when 
the men are away, reduced us to very low 
fare. 

In consequence of the repeated occur- 
rence of similar accidents, I proposed to Ma- 
quina to make him a harpoon or foreganger 
of steel, which would be less liable to fail 
him. The idea pleased him, and in a short 
time I completed one for him, with which he 
was much delighted, and the very next day, 
went out to make trial of it. He succeed- 
ed with it in taking a whale. Great was 
the joy throughout the village as soon as it 
was known that the king had secured the 
whale, by notice from a person stationed at 
the head-land in the offing. All the canoes 
were immediately launched, and, furnished 
with harpoons and seal skin tioats, hastened 
to assist in buoying it up and in towing it in. 
The bringing in of this fish exhibited £jf, 
scene of universal festivity. As soon as 
the canoes appeared at the mouth of the 
cove, those on board of them singing a song 
of triumph to a slow air, to which they l^ept 
time witii their paddles, all who were oa 
shore, men, women and children, mounted 
the roofs of their houses, to congratulate 



135 

the king on his success, drumming most fu- 
riously on the planks, and exclaiming fVo- 
cash — wocash Tyee. 

The whale on being drawn on shore, was 
immediately cut up, and a great feast of the 
blubber given at Maquina*s house, to which 
all the village were invited, who indemnified 
themselves for their lent, by eating as usual 
to excess. I was highly praised for the 
goodness of my harpoon, and a quantity of 
blubber given me, which I was permitted to 
cook as I pleased, this I boiled in salt water 
with some young nettles and other greens 
for Thompson and myself, and in this way 
we found it tolerable food. 

Their method of procuring the oil, is to 
skim it from the water in which the blubber 
is boiled, and when cool, put it up into 
whale bladders for use, and of these J have 
seen them so large as, when filled, would re- 
quire no less than five or six men to carry. 
Several of the chiefs, among whom were 
Maquina's brothers, who after the king has 
caught the first whale,^are privileged to take 
them also, were very desirous, on disco\er- 
mg the superiority of my harpoon, that I 
should make some for thera^ but this Ma- 
quma would not permit, reserving for him- 
self this improved weapon. He however 
1^ me directions to make a number more 
for.himself which I executed, and also made 



136 

liiiii several lances, with which he was great-. 
]y pleased. 

As these people have some very singular 
observances preparatory to whaling, an ac- 
count of them will, I presume, not prove un- 
interestinoj, especially as it may serve to 
«:ive a better idea of their manners. A short 
Hiue before leaving Tashees, the king makes 
a point of passing a day alone on the moun- 
tain, whither he goes very privately early 
in the morning, and does not return till 
late in the evening. This is done, as I after- 
wards learned, for the purpose of singing 
and praying to his God for success in whal- 
ing the ensuing season. At Cooptee the 
same ceremony is performed, and at Nootka 
after the return thither, with still greater so- 
lemnity, as for the next two days he appears 
very thoughtful and gloomy, scarcely speak- 
ing to any one^ and observes a most rigid 
fast. On these occasions, he has always a 
broad red fillet made of bark, bound around 
his head, in token of humiliition, with 
a large branch of green spruce on the top, 
and his great rattle in his hand. In addi- 
tion to this, for a week before commencing 
their whaling, both himself and the crew of 
his canoe observe a fast, eating but very lit- 
tle, and going into the water several tira^^in 
the course of each day to bathe, singing and 
rubbing their bodies, limbs and faces with 
shells and buslies, so that on their Veturn 



137 

I have seen them look as though they liad 
been severely torn with briers. They are 
likewise obliged to abstain from any com- 
merce with their women for the like period, 
the latter restriction being considered as 
indispensible to their success. 

Early in June Tootoosch, the crazy chief, 
died. On being acquainted with his death 
the whole village, men, women, and children 
set up a loud cry, with every testimony of 
the greatest grief, which they continued for 
more than three hours. As soon as he was 
dead, the body, according to their custom, 
was laid out on a plank, having the head 
bound round with a red bark fillet, which is 
with them an emblem of mourning and sor- 
row. After laying some time in this man- 
ner, he was wrapped in an otter skin robe, 
and three fathoms of 1-whaw being put 
about his neck, he was placed in a large cof- 
fin or box of about three feet deep, • which 
was ornamented on the outside with two 
rows of the small white shells. In this, the 
most valuable articles of his property were 
placed with him, among which were no less 
than twenty-four prime sea-otter skins. At 
night, which is their time for interring the 
dead, the coffin was borne by eight men with 
two poles, thrust through ropes passed 
around it, to the place of burial, accompani- 
ed by his wife and family, with their hair 
cut short, in token of giief, all the inhabi' 
M 2 



138 

tants joining the procession. The place of 
burial was a large cavern on the side of a 
hill at a little distance from the village, in 
which, after depositing the coffin carefully, 
all the attendants repaired to Maquina's 
house, where a number of articles belonging 
to the deceased, consisting of blankets, pie- 
ces of cjgth, &c. were burned by a person 
appointed by Maquina for that purpose, 
dressed and painted in the highest style, 
with his head covered with white down, 
who, as he put in the several pieces, one by 
one, poured upon them a quantity of oil to 
increase the flame, in the intervals between, 
making a speech and playing off a variety 
of buffoon tricks, and the whole closed with 
a feast, and a dance from Sat-sat sak-sis, 
the king's son. 

The man who performed the ceremony -of 
Darning on this occasion, was a very singular 
charaeter, named Kinneclimmets. He was 
iield in high estimation by the king, though 
only of the common class, probably from 
his talent for mimicry and buffoonry, and 
might be considered as a kind of king's 
jester, or rather as combining in his person 
the character of a buffoon with that of mas- 
ter of ceremonies, and public orator to his 
majesty, as he was the one who at feast al- 
ways regulated the places of the guests, de- 
livered speeches on receiving or returmn;^ 
'i^its. besides amusing the company e^tajl 



139 

their entertainraents, with a variety of mon-^ 
key pranks and antic gestures, which ap- 
peared to these savages the height of wit 
and humour, but would be considered as ex* 
tremely low by the least polished people. 
Almost all the kings or head chiefs of the 
principal tribes, were accompanied by a sim- 
ilar character, who appeared to be attached 
to their dignity, and are called in their lan- 
guage, Climmer-hahhee, 

This man, Kinneclimmds, was particular- 
ly odious to Thompson, who would never 
join in the laugh at his tricks, but when ha 
began, would almost always quit the house 
with a very surly look, and an exclamation of, 
cursed fool ! which Maquina, who thought 
nothing could equal the cleverness of his 
dimmer- habbee, used to remark with much 
dissatisfaction, asking me why Thompsoo 
never laughed, observing that I must have 
had a very good tempered woman indeed 
for my mother, as my father was so very 
ill-natured a man. Among those perform- 
ances that gained him the greatest applause, 
was his talent ot eating to excess, for I 
have known him devour at one m.eal, no 
less than seventy-five large herring, and at 
another time when a great feast was given 
by Maquina, he undertook, after drinking 
three points of oil by way of whet^ to Vat 
four dried sahnon, and five quarts of spawn^ 
mixed up with a gallon of train oil, and ac- 



140 

tually succeeded in swallowing the greater 
part of this mess, until his stomach became 
so overloaded, as to dischar|»e its contents 
in tfeedish. One of his exhibitions, howev- 
er, had nearly cost him his life, this wa»on 
occasion of Kla-quak-ee-na, one of the cbiefe, 
having bought him a new wife, in celebration 
of which he ran three times through a large 
fire, and burned himself in such a manner, 
that he was not able to stir for more than 
four weeks. These feats of savage skill, 
were much praised by Maquina, who never 
failed to make him a present, of cloth, musr 
kets, &c. on such occasions. 

The death of Tootoosch increased still 
more the disquietude which his delirium had 
excited among the savages, and all those 
chiefs who had killed our men became 
much alarmed, lest they should be seized 
with the same disorder and die like him ; 
more particularly, as I had told Maquina, 
that I believed his insanity was a punish- 
ment inflicted on him by Quahootze, for his 
cruelty in murdering two innocent men, who 
had never injured him. 

Our situation had now become unpleas- 
ant in the extreme. The summer was so 
far advanced, that we nearly despaired of a 
ship arriving to our relief, and with that ex- 
pectation, almost relinquished the hope of 
ever having it in our power to quit this sav- 
age laivd„ We were treated too with les^ 



J4l 

indulgence than before, both Thompson and 
myself being obliged, in addition to our oth-, 
er employments, to perform the laborious 
task of cutting and collecting fuel, which 
we had to bring on our shoulders from 
nearly three miles distant, as it consisted 
wholly of dry trees, all of which near the 
village, had been consumed. To add to 
this, we suffered much abuse from the com- 
mon people, who, when Maquina or some 
of the chiefs were not present, would insult 
us, calling us wretched slaves, asking us 
where was our Tyee or captain, making 
gestures signifying that his head had been 
cutoff, and that they would do the like to 
us ; though they generally took good care 
at such times to keep well out of Thomp- 
son's reach, as they had more than once ex- 
perienced to their cost the strength of his 
fist. This conduct was not only provoking 
and grating to our feelings in the highest de- 
gree, but it convinced us of the ill disposi- 
tion of these savages towards us, and render- 
ed us fearful lest they might at some time or 
other persuade or force Maquina and the 
chiefs, to put us to death. 

We were also, often brought to great dis* 
tress for the want of provision, so felr as to be 
reduced to collect a scanty supply of mus- 
cles and limpets from the rocks, and some- 
times even compelled to part with some of 
our- naost necessary articles of clothing. 



142 

in order to purchase food for our subsist- 
ence. This was, however, principally ow- 
ing to the inhabitants themselves experi- 
encing a great scarcity of provisions this 
season ; there having been, in the first place, 
but very few salmon caught at Friendly 
Cove, a most unusual circumstance, as they 
generally abound there in the spring, which 
was by the natives attributed to their having 
been driven away by the blood of our men, 
who had been thrown into the sea, %hich 
with true savage inconsistency, excited their 
murmurs against Maquina, who had pro- 
posed cutting off our ship. Relying on this 
supply, they had in the most inconsiderate 
manner squandered away their winter stock 
of provisions, so that in a few days after 
their return, it was entirely expended. Nor 
were the king and chiefs much more fortu- 
nate iu their whaling, even after I had fur- 
nished Maquina with the improved weapon 
for that purpose ; but four whales having 
been taken during the season, which closes 
the last of May, including one that had 
been struck by Maquina and escaped, and 
was afterwards driven on shore about six 
miles from Nootka, in almost a state of pu- 
tridity. These afforded but a short supply, 
to a population, including all ages and 
sexes, of no less than fifteen hundred per- 
sons, and of a character so very improvi' 
dent, that after feasting most gluttonously 



143 

whenever a whale was caught, they were sev- 
eral times for a week together, reduced to the 
necesi^ity of eating but once a day, and of 
collecting cockles and muscles from the 
rorks for their food. And even after the 
cod and halibut fishing commenced in June, 
in which they met with tolerable success, 
such was the savage caprice of Maquina 
that he would often give us but little to eat, 
finally orderng us to buy a canoe and fish- 
ing implements, and go out ourselves and 
fish, or we should have nothing. To do 
this, we were compelled to part with our 
great coats, which were not only important 
to us as garments, but of w hich we made 
our beds, spreading them under us when we 
slept. From our want of skill, however, in 
this new employ, we met with no success, 
on discovering wliich, Maquina ordered us 
to remain at home. 

Another thing, which to me in particular, 
proved an almost constant source of vexa^ 
tion and disgust, and which living among 
them had not in the least reconciled me to, 
was their extreme filthiness, not only in eat- 
ing fish, especially the whale, when in a statfe 
of offensive putridity, but while at their 
meals of making a practise of taking the 
vermin from their heads or clothes, and 
eating them, by turns thrusting their fingers 
into their hair, and into the dish, and spread- 
iiig Jh^ir garments over the tubs in which 



144 

the provision wag cooking, in order to set iu 
motion their inhabitants. Fortunately for 
Thompson, he regarded this much less than 
myself, and when I used to point out to him 
any instance of their filthiness in this re- 
spect, he would laugh and reply, Never 
mind John, the rhore good things the better. 
I must however do Maquina the justice to 
state, that he was much neater both in his 
person and eating than were the others, as 
was likewise his queen, owing no doubt to 
his intercourse with foreigners, which had 
given him ideas of cleanliness, for I never 
saw either of them eat any of these animals, 
but on the contrary they appeared not much 
to relish this taste in others. Their gar- 
ments, also, were much cleaner, Maquina 
having been accustomed to give his away 
when they became soiled, till after he dis- 
covered that Thompson and myself kept ours 
clean by washing them, when he used to 
make Thompson do the same for him. 

Yet amidst this state of endurance and 
disappointment, in hearing repi^atedly of the 
arrival of ships at the north and south, most 
of which proved to be idle reports, while 
expectation was almost wearied out in look- 
ing for them, we did not wholly desponri, re- 
lying on the mercy of the Supreme Bdng, 
to offer up to whom our devotions on the 
days appointed for his worship, w»as oBt 
chief con >olation and support, tbangh i^^ 



145 

were sonietirnes obliged by oiir task -masters 
to infringe upon the Sabbath, which was to 
Die a source of much re^rret. 

We were nevertheless, treated at times, 
with much kindness by Maquina vvho would 
give us a plenty of the best that he had to 
eat, and occasionally, some small present of 
cloth for a garment, promising me, that if 
any ship should arrive within a hmidred 
miles of Nootka, he would send a canoe 
with a letter from me to the captain, so that 
he might come to our release. These flat- 
tering promises and marks of attention were 
however, at those times, when he thought 
himself in personal danger from a mutinous 
spirit, which the scarcity of provision had 
excited among the natives, who, like true 
savages, imputed all their public calamities, 
of whatever kind, to the misconduct of their 
chief, or when he was apprehensive of an at- 
tack from some of the other tribes who were 
irritated with him for cutting off the Boston, 
as it had prevented ships from coming to 
trade with them, and who were constantly 
alarming him with idle stories of vessels tliat 
were preparing to come against him, and ex- 
terminate both him and his people the Cay- 
uquets. At s^ch times, he made us keep 
guard over him both night and day, armed 
\tith cutlasses and pistols, being apparently 
jS^id to ti'list any of his own men. A t one 
tfrnSj it was a general revolt of his people 
N 



148 

ihat he apprehended — then three of bfe 
principal chiefs, among whom was his elder 
brother, had conspired to take Qway his life, 
and at length he fancied that a small party 
of Klaooquates, between whom and the 
Nootkians, little friendship subsisted, had 
come to Nootka, under a pretence of trade, 
for the sole purpose of murdering him and 
his family, telling us, probably to sharpen 
our vigilance, that their intention was to kill 
us likewise, and so strongly were his fears 
excited on this occasion, that he not only or- 
dered us to keep near him armed by day, 
whenever he went out, and to patrole at 
night before his house while they remained, 
but to continue the same guard for three 
days after th^y were gone, and to fire at one 
and at four in the morning, one of the great 
guns, to let them know, if, as he suspected, 
they were lurking in the neighbourhood, 
that he was on his guard. While he was 
thus favourably disposed towards us, I 
took an opportunity to inform him of the 
ill treatment that we frequently received 
from his people, and the insults that were 
offered us by some of the stranger tribes in 
calling us white slaves, and loading us with 
other opprobrious terms. He was- much 
displeased, and said that his subjects should 
not be allowed to treat us ill, and that if feny 
of the strangers did it, he wished us to pun- 
ish the offenders with death, at tke same 



147 



time directing us for our security, to g^o 
constantly armed. This permission was 
soon improved by Thompson to the best ad- 
vantage ; for a few days after, having gone 
to the pond to wash some of our clothes, 
and blanket for Maquina, several Wickinnin- 
ish who were then at Nootka, came thither^ 
and seeing him washing the clothes, and the 
blanket spread upon the grass to dry,^ they 
began according to custom to insult him, 
^^and one of them bolder than the others, 
^walked over t^e blanket. Thompson was 
highly incensed, and threatened the Indian 
with death if be repeated the offence, but 
he, in contempt of the threat, trampled up- 
on the blanket, when drawing his cutlass, 
without farther ceremony, Thompson cut 
off his head, on seeing which the others ran 
off at full speed ; Thompson then gather- 
ing up the clothes and blanket on which 
were the marks of the Indian's dirty feet, 
and taking with him the head, returned and 
informed the king of what had passed, who 
was much pleased, and highlv commend- 
ed his conduct. This had a favourable ef- 
fect for us^ not only on the stranger tribes, 
but the inhabitants themselves, who treated 
us afterwards with less disrespect. 

In the latter part of July, Maquina in^ 
formed me that he was going to war with 
the Ay-charts, a tribe living at about fifty 
miles to the south, on account of someconr- 



J48 

lrover>5y that had arisen the preceding suni- 
Bier, and that I must make a number of dag- 
gers for his men, and cheetoolths for his 
chiefs, which having completed, he wished 
me to make for his own use a weapon of 
quite a different form, in order to dispatch 
his enemy by one blow on the head, it being 
the calcwlation of these nations on going to 
war, to surprize their adversaries while 
asleep. This was a steel dagger, or more 
properly a spike, of about six inches long^ 
made very sharp, set at ri^t angles in an 
iron handle of fifteen inches long, terminat- 
ing at the lower end in a crook or tuni, so as 
to prevent its being wrenched from the 
hand, and at the upper, in around knob or 
head, from whence the spike protruded. 
This instrument I polished highly, and the 
more tp {^ease Maquina, formed on the 
back of the knob, the resemblance of a 
man's head, with the mouth open, substitut- 
ing for eyes, black beads, which I fastened 
in with red sealing wax. This pleased him 
much, and was greatly admired by his chiefs, 
who wanted me to make similar ones for 
them, but Maqnina would not suffer it, re- 
serving for himself alone this weapon. 

When these people, have finally determin- 
ed on war, they make it an invariable pr?ic- 
tice for three or four weeks prior to tlle^^x- 
pedition, to go into the water five pr six 
times a day, where they wash arid scrub 



149 

themselves from head to foot with bushes 
intermixed with briars, so that their bodies 
and faces will often be entirely covered with 
blood. During this severe exerCiSe, they 
are continually exclaiming, " Wocash Qua- 
hoolze, Teecliamme ah welth, wiketish tmi- 
ilth—Kar'Sab-matemas—Wik'Sish to hank 
matemas — / ya-ish kah-shitlk — -Assmootish 
warich matemas— V^hxch signifies, Good, or 
great God, let me live— Not be sick — Find 
the enemy — Not fear him — Find him asleep, 
and kill a great many of him. 

During the whole of this period, they 
have no intercourse with their women, and 
for a week, at least, before setting out, 
abstain from feasting or any kind of merri- 
ment, appearing thoughtful^ gloomy, and 
morose, and for the three last days, are al- 
most constantly in the water, iipth day and 
night, scrubbing and lacerating themselves 
in a terrible manner. Maquii^a having in- 
formed Thompson and myself that he should 
take us with him, was very solicitous that 
we should bathe and scrub ourselves in the 
same way with them, telling me that it 
would harden our skins so that the weapons 
of the enemy would not pierce them, but as 
we felt no great inclination to amuse our- 
selves in this manner, Me declined it. 

The expedition consisted of forty canoes, 
carrying from ten to twenty men eacW 
Thompson and myself armed ourselves wit^i 
n2 



150 

cutlasses and pistols, but the natives, al- 
though they had a plenty of European arms, 
took with them only their daggers and 
cheetoolths, with a few bows and arrows, 
the latter being about a yard in length, and 
pointed with copper, muscle shell, or bone : 
the bows are four feet and a half long, with 
strings made of whale sinew. 

To go to A-y-chart, we ascended from 
twenty to thirty miles, a river about the 
size of that of Tashees, the banks of which 
are high and covered with wood. At mid- 
night, we came in sight of the village, which 
was situated on the west bank near the 
shore, on a steep hill difficult of access, 
and well calculated for defence. It consist- 
ed of tifteenor sixteen houses, smaller than 
those at Nootka, and built in the same style, 
but com pa(*f!y placed. By ^Maquina's di- 
rections, the attack was deferred until the 
iirst appearance of dawn, as he said that 
vas the time when men slept the soundest. 

At length all being ready for the attack, 
we landed with the greatest silence, and go- 
ing around so as to come upon the foe in the 
rear, clambered up4he hill, and while the 
natives, as is their custom, entered the seve- 
ral huts, creeping on all fours, my comrade 
and myself stationed ourselves without, ter 
intercept tliose who should attempt to; fe»- 
cape, or com*^ to the aid of their friends, I 
'.yisli^d if pos^ibie, not to stain my hand** 



151 

in the blood of any fellow creature, aad 
though ThoQipson would gladly have put to 
death all the savages in the country, he was 
too brave to think of attacking a sleeping 
enemy. Having entered the houses, on the 
war-whoop being given by Maquina, as he 
seized the head of the chief, and gave him 
the fatal blow, all proceeded to the work of 
death. The A-y-charts being thus sur- 
prised, were unable to make resistance, and 
with the exception of a very few, who were 
so fortunate as to make their escape, were 
all killed or taken prisoners on condition 
of becoming slaves to their captors. I also 
had the good fortune to take four captives, 
whom Maquina, as a favor, permitted me to 
consider as mine, and occasionally employ 
them in fishing for me ; as to* Thomp- 
son, who thirsted for revengeH|e had no 
wish to take any prisoners, but with his cut-, 
lass, the only weapon he wouM employ 
against them, succeeded in killing Seven 
stout fellows, who came to attack him, an 
act which obtained him great credit with 
Maquina and the chiefs, who after this, held 
him in much higher estimation, and gave 
him the appellation of Che/iiel'Suma-har, it 
being the name of a very celebrated warrior 
of their nation in ancient times, whose ex- 
ploits were the constant theme of theiv 
piraii^e; 



152 

After having put to death all the old and 
infirm of either sex, as is the barbarous prac- 
tise of these people, and destroyed the 
buildings, we re-embarked with our booty 
in our canoes, for Nootka, where we were 
received with great demonstrations of joy by 
the women and children, accompany iug our 
war song with a most furious drumming on 
the houses. The next day a great feast was 
given by Maquina, in celebration of his vic- 
tory, which was terminated as usual with a 
dance by Sat-sat-sak-sis. 

Repeated applications had been made t<y 
Maquina, by a number of kings or chiefs, to 
purchase me, especially after he had shew- 
ed them the harpoon I had made for him, 
which he took much pride in, but he con- 
stantly refused to part with me on any terms. 
— Among^ltee, the king of the Wickinnin- 
ish was pamcularly solicitous to obtain me, 
having twice applied to Maquina for that 
purpose, once in a very formal manner, by 
sefuding his messenger with four canoes, 
who as he approached the shore, decorated 
in their highest style, with the white down 
on his head, &c. declared that he came to 
buy Tooteyoohannis, the name by which I 
Mas known to them, for his master, and that 
he had brought for that purpose fmir youog 
male slaves, two highly ornamented canoes, 
such a number of skins of the met^Hielth, 
and of the quarihick, or sea otter, and so uia^ 



153 

ny fathoms of cloth and of I-whaw, while as 
he mentioned the different articles, they 
were pointed out or held up by his attend- 
ants, but even this tempting offer had no in- 
fluence on Maquina ; who in the latter part 
of the summer, was again very strongly 
urged to sell me by Ulatilla, or as he is gen- 
erally called, Machee Ulatilla, chief of the 
Klaizzarts, who had come to Nootka on a 
visit. 

This chief, who could speak tolerable 
English, had much more the appearance of 
a civilized man, than any of the sava^ijes that 
I saw. He appeared to be about thirty, was 
rather small in his person, but extremely 
well formed, with a skin almost as fair a» 
that of an European, good feautures, and a 
countenance expressive of candour and ami- 
ableness, and which was ahni|it always 
brightened with a smile. ^ He was much 
neater both in his dress and person than any 
of the other chiefs, seldom wiring paint, 
except upon his eye-brows, which after 
the custom of his country, were plucked 
out, and a few strips of the pe/pelth on the 
lower part of his face. He always treated 
me with much kindness, was fond of con- 
versing with main English and iy hi^ own 
la«fi:uage, asking me many questions relative 
to my country, its manners, customs, Sec, 
J^twi a{>f>eared to take a strong interest in my 

♦^ teiiing me, that if he could persuade 



i^* 



154 

Maqnina to part with me, he would put m« 
Oil board the first ship that came to his 
country ; a promise, which from his sub- 
sequent conduct, I have good reason to 
think he would have performed, as my de- 
liverarice, at length, from captivity and suf- 
fering was, under the favour of divine provi- 
dence, wholly owing to him, the only letter 
that ever reached an European or American 
vessel, out of sixteen that 1 wrote at diflfer- 
eiit times, and sent to various parts of the 
coast, having been delivered by him in per- 
son. So much pleased was 1 with this 
man's behaviour to me while at Nootka, that 
I made for him a Cheetoolth, which 1 burn- 
ished highly, and engraved with figures ; 
with this he was greatly delighted, 1 also 
would have made for him a harpoon would 
Maqnina||aye consented. 

With hearts full of dejection and almost 
lost to hope, no ship having appeared oflf 
IVootka this season, did my companion and 
"^lyself accolhpany the tribe on Iheir remo- 
vo] ift September to Tashees, relinquishing 
in consequence, for six months, even the re- 
motest expectation of relief. 

Soon after our establishment there, Ma- 
quina informed me, that he and his chiefs 
bad held council both before and after g?nt- 
ting Nootka^ in which they had deteHjEiined 
that I must marry one of their wome«. iirg- 
imo: n8 a reason to inuace me to consent, 



tBa 

that as there was now no probability of a. 
ship coming to Nootka to release me, that 
I must consider myself as destined to pass 
the remainder of my life with them, that the 
sooner I conformed to their customs the 
better, and that a wife and family would ren- 
der me more contented and satisfied with 
their mode of living. I remonstrated against 
this decision, but to no purpose, for he told 
me that should I refuse, both Thompsoa 
and myself would be put to death, telling 
me however, that if there were none of the 
women of his tribe that pleased me, lie 
would go with me to some of the other 
tribt^, where he would purchase for me such 
an one as 1 should select. Reduced to this 
sad extremity, with death on the one side, 
and matrimony on the other, I thought 
proper to choose what appeared to me the 
least of the two evils, and consent to betjoiar- 
ried, on condition, that as I did not fknc^ 
any of the Nootka women, I sfeuld be per^ 
mitted to make choice of one from some 
other tribe. 

This being settled, the next nK)rning by 
day light Maquina with about fifty men in 
two canoes, set out with me for A-i-tiz-^zart, 
taking with him a quantity of clotlf, a num- 
ber of muskets, sea-otter skins, &c. for the 
pu;^€hase of my bride. With the aid of our 
pa()dfe and sails, being favoured with a 
fair tfreeze, we arrived some time before suu 



136 

het at the village. Our arrival excited a 
general alarm, and the men hastened to the 
shore, armed with the weapons of their coun- 
try, aiaking many warlike demonstrations, 
and displaying much zeal and activity. 
We in the mean time remained quietly seat- 
ed in our canoes, where we remained for 
about half an hour, when the messenger 
of the chief, dressed in their best manner, 
came to welcome us, and invite us on shore 
to eat. We followed him in procession to the 
chief s house, Maquina at our head, taking 
care to leave asufficient number in the boats 
to protect the property. When we came to 
the house, we were ushered in with much 
ceremony, and our respective seats pointed 
out to us, mine being next to Maquina by 
bis request." , 

After having been rep:aled with a feast of 
]ierri«i(y spawn and oil, Maquina asked me if 
I saw any among the women who were pre- 
sent that 1 lijied, J immediately pointed out 
to him a young girl of about seventeen, the 
dau.crhter of Upquesta, the ciiief, who was 
sitting near him by her mother. On this 
Maquina making a sign to his men, arose 
and takino^ me by the hand, walked into the 
middle of the room, and sent off two of his 
men to bring the boxes containing tbe pre- 
sents from the canoes. In the meai^ time 
Kinneclimmets, the master of ceremoMic^, 
rA\o\i\ I have already spoken of, ipa^ie ^h^p- 



U7 

self ready for the part he was to aCt, by 
powdering his hair with the white down.—* 
When ihe chests were brought in, specimens 
of the several articles were taken out, and 
shewed by our men, one of whom held up 
a musket, another a skin, a third a piece of 
cloth, &c. On this Kinneclimmets stepped 
forward, and addressing the chief, informed 
him that all these belonged to me, mention- 
ing the number of each kind, and that they 
were offered him for tlie purchase of his 
daughter Eu-stoch-ee-exqua, as a wife for 
me. As he said this, lJ}e men who held up 
the various articles, walked up to the chief, 
and with a \e\y stern and morose h}ok, the 
complimentary one on these oecusioDs, 
threw them ai his feet. In7niecliately on 
which, all the tribe, both men and women, 
who were assembled on this occasion, set 
up aery of Klack ko-Tyee, tliatis,!^|:ank 
ye chief. His men, alter this cerenmriy, 
having returned to their ])kces, Maffriiiia 
rose, and in a speech of more than half jiu 
hour, said much in my praise to the A-i-tiz> 
zart chief, telling bin) that I was, as good a 
man as themselves, differing from tliern only 
in being white, that I was besides acquaint- 
ed with many things of \<'hich they were 
ignorant ; that I knew how to mske daggers, 
iekeetoolths, and harpoons, and v»;as a very 
valuable person, who^i he was detern^ined 
to kc'ejj always j^>}th him ; praising meat 



ie same tune for tlie goodness of my tem- 
per, and the manner in which 1 had con- 
ducted since 1 had been with them, observ- 
ing that all the people of Nootka, and even 
the children loved me. 

While Maquina was speaking, his master 
of ceremonies was continually skipping 
about, making the most extravagant ges- 
tures, and exclaiming Wocash. When he 
had ceased, the A-i-tiz-zart chief arose amidst 
the acclamations of his people, and began 
with setting forth the many good qualities 
j^nd accomplishments of his daughter ; that 
be loved her greatly, and as she was his on- 
ly one, he could not think of parting with 
her. He spoke in this manner for some 
time, but finally concluded by consenting to 
the proposed union, requesting that she 
might be well used and kindly treated by 
her lumband. At the close of this speech, 
when the chief began to matiifest a disposi- 
tion to consent to our union, Kinneclimmets 
again began to cali out as loud as he could 
bawl, Wocash, cutting a thousand capers 
and spinning himself around on his heel like 
a top. 

When Upquesta had finished his speech, 
he directed his people to cany back the 
presents Vvhich Maquina had given him, to 
me, together with two young male slaves to 
aNsi.st me in fishing. These, after having 
been placed before me, were by MaqtijoaV 



159 

men taken on board the canoes. This cere^ 
inony being over, we were invited by one of 
the principal chiefs to a feast, at his honse, 
of Klussamit, or dried herring, where after 
tlie eating was over, Kinneclimmets amiised 
the company very highly with his tricks, and 
the evening's entertainment was closed by 
a new war-song from our men, and one in 
return from the A-itiz-zarts, accompanied 
with expressive gestures, and wielding of 
their weapons. 

After this, our company returned to lodge 
at Upquesta's, except a fevv who were left 
on board the canoes to watch the property. 
In the morning I received from the chief his 
daughter, with an earnest request that i 
would use her well, which I promised him, 
when taking leave of her parents, she ac- 
companied me with apparent satisfaction on 
board of the canoe. 

The wind being ahead, the natives %ere 
obliged to have recourse to their paddies, 
accompanying them with their songs, inter- 
spersed with the witticisms and buffoonry of 
Kinneclimmets, who, in his capacity of 
king's steersman, one of his functions which 
I forgot to enumerate, not only guided the 
course of the canoe, but regulated the sing- 
ing of the boatmen. At about live in i\\G 
tJjorning, Me reached Tasheeg, where we 
f Hind all the inhabitants collected on the 
•*hore to receive US. We were welcomed 



160 

with loud shouts of joy, and exclamations 
of Wocash, and the women takmg my bride 
under their charge, conducted her to Ma- 
f(uina's house, to be kept with them for ten 
ilays ; it being an universal custom as Ma- 
quina informed mc, that no intercourse 
should take place between the new marri- 
ed pair durinor that period. At night Ma- 
quina gave a great feast, which was succeed- 
ed by a dance, in which all the women 
joined, and dius ended the festivities of my 
.marriage. 

The term of my restriction over, Maquina 
assigned me as an apartment, the space in 
the upper part of his house, between him 
md his elder brother, whose room was op- 
osite. Here I established myself with my 
:amlly, consistingof myself and wife,Thomp. 
mn and the little Sat-sat-sak-sis, who had 
always been strongly attached tome, and 
Jtiow solicited his father to let him live with 
^:ne, to which he consented. This boy was 
baudsprae, extremely well formed, amiable, 
and of a pleasant, sprightly disposition, i 
used to take a pleasure in decorating him 
with rings, bracelets, ear jewels, &c. which 
1 made for him of copper, and ornamented 
and polished them in my best manner. I 
was also very carefid to keep him free from 
vermin of every kind, washing him and 
combing his hair every day. These marks 
of attention were not only very pleasing tof 



161 



the child, who delighted in being kept neat 
and clean, as well as in being dressed off in 
his finery, but was highly gratifying both to 
Maquina and his qneen, who us^ed to ex- 
press much satisfaction at my care of iiim. 

In making my domestic establishment, I 
determined, as far as possible, to live in a 
more coinfortable and cleanly manner than 
the others. For this purpose, I erected with 
planks, a partition of about three feet high, 
between mine and the adjoining rooms, and 
made three bedsteads of the same, which 
I covered with boards, for my family to 
sleep on, which I found much more com- 
fortable than sleeping on the floor amidst 
the dirt. 

Fortunately I found my Indian, princess 
both amiable and intelligent, for one whose 
limited sphere of observation must nAcessa*- 
rily give rise to but a few ideas. She was 
extremely ready to agree to any thing that I 
proposed relative to our mode of ]ivn»2:, ivas 
very attentive in keeping her garments £»^l 
person neat ami clean, and app<iared ia evtj- 
ry respect, solicitous to please me. She 
was, as I have said, about seventeen ; Iwi* 
person was small, but well formed, as were 
her features, her complexion was, without 
exception, fairer than any of the women, 
w'nh considerable colour in her cheeks, her 
%^\t long, black, and much softer than is 
usual with them, and her teeth swiiall, 
o2 



162 

even, and of a dazzling whiteness, while the 
expression of her countenance, indicated 
sweetness of temper and modesty. She 
would, indeed^ have been considered as very 
pretty in any country, and excepting Ma- 
quina's queen, was by far the handsomest 
of any of their wora^en. 

With a partner possessing so many attrac- 
tions, many may be apt to conclude, that 1 
must have found myself happy, at least 
comparatively so ; but far otherwise was it 
with me, a compulsory marriage with the 
most beautiful and accomplished person ia 
the world, can never prove a source of real 
happiness, and in my situation, I could not 
but view this connection as a chain that waa 
to bind me down to this savage land, and 
prevent my ever again seeing a civilized 
oountry ; especially, when. in a few days af- 
ter, Maquina informed me that there had 
been a meeting of his chiefs in which it was 
determined, that as I had married one of 
their women, I must be considered as one 
of them, and conform to their custorai?, and 
ihat in future, neither myself nor Thomp- 
son should wear our European clothes, but 
•Jress in Kutsaks like themselves. This or- 
der was tome most painful, but I persuaded 
Mjiquina, at length, so far to relax in it m 
to }>ermit me to wear those I had at present, 
which were almost worn out, and not to 
ompel Thompson to change his dressy obr 



163 

serving, that as he was an old man, such a 
change would cause his death. 

Their religious celebration, which the last 
year took place in December, was in this, 
commenced on the 15th of November, and 
continued for fourteen days. As I was now 
considered as one of them, instead of being 
ordered to the woods, Maquina directed 
Thompson and myself to remain, and pray 
with them to Quahootze to be good to them, 
and thank him for what he had done. It 
was opened in much the same manner as 
the former. After which, all the men and 
women in the village assembled at Maquir 
na's house, in their plainest dresses, and 
without any kind of ornament^s about them, 
having their heads bound around with the 
red fillet, a token of dejection and humilia- 
tion, and their countenances expressive of 
seriousness and melancholy. The perform- 
ances during the continuance of this cele- 
bration, consisted almost wholly in singing 
a number of songs to mournful airs, the king 
regulating the time by beating on his hollow 
plank or drum, accompanied by one of his. 
chiefs, seated near him with the great rattle. 
In the mean time, they eat but seldom, and 
then very little, retiring to sleep late; aijd 
rising at the first appearance of dawn, and 
evt-n interrupting this short period of repose^ 
by getting up at midnight and singins^. It 
^vas terminated by an exhibition of a similar 



164 

character to the one of the last year, but 
still more cruel. A boy of twelve years old, 
with six bayonets run into his flesh, one 
through each arm and thigh, and through 
each side close to the ribs, was carried 
around the room, suspended upon them, 
without manifiesting any symptons of pain. 
Maquina, on my enquiring the reason of this 
display, informed me that it was an ancient 
custom of his nation, to sacrifice a man it 
the close of this solemnity in honour of 
their God, but that his father had abolished 
it, and substituted this in its place. The 
whole closed on the evening of the 29th, 
with a great feast of salmon spawn and oil, 
at which the natives as usual, made up for 
their late abstinence. 

A few days after a circumstance occurred, 
which, from its singularity, I cannot forbear 
mentioning. I was sent for by my neigh- 
bour Yealthlower, the king's elder brother, 
to file his teeth, which operation having per- 
formed, he informed me that a new wife, 
whom he had a little time l^fore purchased, 
having refused to sleep with him, it was 
his intention, provided she persisted in her 
refusal, to bite off her nose. I endeavoured 
to dissuade him from it, but he was deter- 
mined, and in fact, performed his savage 
threat that very ni^ht, saying that since ksIjc 
would not be his wife, she should not hi 



166 

that of any other, and in the morning seiil 
her back to her father. 

This inhiirnau actiiid not, however, pro- 
ceed from any innate cruelty of disposition, 
or malice, as he was far from being of a bar. 
barous temper ; but such is the despotism 
exercised by these savages over their women, 
that he no doubt considered it as a ju 4 pun- 
ishment for her offence, in being so obstinate 
and perverse ; as he afterwards told me, that 
in similar cases, the husband had a right, 
with them, to disfigure his wife in this way^ 
or some other, to prevent her ever marrying 
again. 

About the middle of December, we left 
Tashees for Cooptee. As usual at this sea- 
son, we found the herring in great plenty, 
and here the same scene of riotous feasting 
as I witnessed the last year, was renewed by 
our improvident natives, who, in addition to 
their usual fare, had a plentiful supply of 
wild geese, which were brought us in great 
quantities by the Esquates. These, as Ma- 
quina informed me, were caught with nets 
made from bark, in the fresh waters of that 
country. Those who take them, make 
choice for that purpose, of a dark and rainy 
night, and with their canoes stuck with 
lighted torches, proceed with as little noise 
as possible, to the place where the geese are 
collected, who, dazzled by the light, suffer 
themselves to be approached very near, 



160 

when the net isr thrown over them, and in 
this manner, from Mty to sixty, or even 
more, will sometimes be taken at one cast. 

On the 15th of January, 1805, about mid- 
night, J was thrown into considerable alarm, 
in consequence of an eclipse of the moon, 
being awakened from my sleep by a great 
outcry of the inhabitants. On going to dis- 
cover the cause ai this tumult, 1 found 
them all out of their houses, bearing lighted 
torches, singing and beating upon pieces oi 
plank, and when 1 asked them the reason 
of this proceeding, they pointed to the 
moon, and said that a great cod-fish was en- 
deavouring to swallow her, and that they 
were driving him away. The origin of this 
superstition I could not discover. 

Though in some respects, my situation 
was rendered more comfortable since my 
marriage, as I lived in a more cleanly man- 
ner, and had my food better and more neat- 
ly cooked, of which, besides, 1 had always 
a plenty, my slaves generally furnishing me, 
and Upquesta never failing to send me an 
ample supply by the canoes that came from 
A-i-tiz-zart ; still, from my being obliged at 
this season of the year, to change my accus- 
tomed clothing, and to dress like the natives, 
with only a piece of cloth of about two 
yards long, thrown loosely around me, my 
European clothes having been for some 
time entirely worn out, I sufiTered more than 



107 

I can express from the cold, especially as | 
was compelled to perform the laborious task 
of cutting and bringing the fire wf)od, which 
was rendered still more oppressive to me, 
from niy comrade for a considerable part of 
the winter, not having it in his power to lend 
me his aid, in consequence of an attack of 
the rheumatism in one of his knees, with 
which he suffered for more than four months, 
two or three weeks of which he was so ill 
as to be unable to leave the house. This 
state of suffering, with the little hope I now 
had of ever escaping from the savages, be- 
gan to render my life irksome to me, still, 
however, 1 lost not my confidence in the aid 
of the Supreme Being, to uhom, whenever 
the weather and a suspension from the tasks 
imposed on me, wo?dd permit, 1 never failed 
regularly, on Sundays, to retire to the woods 
to worship, takin^r Thompson with me when 
he was able to go. 

On the 20lh of February, we returned to 
our summer quarters at Nootka, but on my 
part, w ith far diflerent sensations than tlie 
last spring, being now almost in despair ot 
any vessel arriving to release us, or our be- 
ing permitted to depart if th(^re should. — 
Soon after our return, as preparatory to the 
whaling season, Maquina ordered me to 
make a ^ood number of harpoons for him- 
self and his chiefs, several of which I had 
comi^eted with some lances, when on th« 



168 

|6tb of March, I was taken very ill with a 
violent cholic, caused, 1 presume, from my 
havinjjj suffered so much from the cold in go- 
ing without proper clothing. For a number 
of hours 1 was in great pain, and expected 
to die, and on its leaving me, I was so weak 
as scarcely to be able to stand, while I had 
nothing comforting to take, nor any thing to 
drink but cold water. On the day follow- 
ing, a slave belonging to Maquina died, and 
was immediately, as is their custom in such 
cases, tossed unceremoniously out of doors, 
from whence he was taken by some others, 
and thrown into the water. The treatment 
of this poor creature made a melancholy 
impression upon my mind, as 1 could not 
but think, that such probably, would be my 
fate should I die among these heathen, and 
so far from receiving a decent burial, that I 
should not even be allowed the common priv- 
ilege of having a little earth thrown over my 
remains. 

The feebleness in which the violent attack 
of my disorder had left me, the dejection I 
felt at the almost hopelessness of my situa- 
tion, and the want of warm clothing and 
proper nursing, though my Indian wife, ns 
far as she knew how ,was always ready, and 
even solicitous, to do every thing for me sihe 
could, still kept me very much indisposed, 
tvhich Maquina perceiving, he linally told 
tne, that if I did not like' living with my 



wife, and that was the cause of my being so 
sad, J might part with her. This proposal 
I readily accepted, and the next day Ma- 
quina sent her back to her father. Oh part- 
ing with me, she discovered much emotion, 
begging me that 1 would suffer her to re- 
main till I had recovered, as there was no 
one who would take so good care of me as 
herself. But when 1 told her she must go, 
for that 1 did not think 1 should ever re« 
cover, which in truth I but little expected, 
and that her father would take good care of 
her, and treat her much more kindly than 
Maquina, she took an affectionate leave^ 
telling me that she hoped I should soon gel 
better, and left her two slaves to take care oi 
nie. 

Though 1 rejoiced at her departqre, I was 
greatly affected with the simple expressions 
of her regard for me, and could not but feel 
strongly interested for this poor girl, who in 
all her conduct towards me, had discovered 
so much mildness and attention to my wish- 
es ; and had it not been that I considered 
her as an almost insuperable obstacle to my 
being permitted to leave the country, I 
should no doubt have felt the deprivation 
of her society a real loss. After her de- 
parture, I requested Maquina, that, as I 
had parted with my wife, he would permit 
me to resume my European dress, for, oth^ 
erwise, from not having been accustotued ijc> 
P 



170 

dress like theiii, I should certainly die. To 
this he consented, and 1 once more became 
comfortably clad. 

Change of clothing, but more than all, 
the hopes which I now began to indulge, 
that in the course of the isummer 1 should 
be able to escape, in a short time restored 
me to health, so far, that I could again go to 
work in making harpoons for Maquina, who, 
probably, fearing that he should have to 
part with me, determined to provide himself 
with a good stock. 

I shall not however, longer detain the 
reader with a detail of occurrences that in- 
tervened between this period, and that of 
niy escape, which, from that dull uniformity 
that marks the savage life, would be in a 
measure^ but repetitions, nor dwell upon that 
mental torture 1 endured, from a constant 
conflict of hope and fear, when the former, 
almo.^t wearied out with repeated disap- 
pointment, offered to our sinking hearts no 
prospect of release, but death, to which 
we were constantly exposed from the brutal 
ignorance and savage disposition of the 
common people, who in the various councils 
that were held this season to determine 
w hat to do with us, in case of the arrival of 
a ship, were almost always for putting us tg 
death, expecting by that mearis to conci^l 
the murder of our crew, and to throw the 
blame of it on some other tribec These 



171 

barbarous sentiments, were, liowever, uni- 
formly opposed by Maquina and his chiefs, 
who would not consent to our being' injured. 
But as some of their customs and traits of 
national character, which I think deserving 
of notice, have not been mentioned, I shall 
proceed to give a brief account of them. 

The office of king or chief, is, with those 
people, hereditary, and descends to the ehi- 
est soil, or in failure of male issue, to the 
elder brother, who in the regal line, is con- 
sidered as the second person in the king- 
dom. At feasts, as J have observed, the 
king is always placed in the highest, or seat 
of honour, and the chiefs according to their 
respective ranks, which appear, in general, 
to be determined by their affinity to the roy- 
al family, they are also designated by the 
embellishments of their mantles, or Kut- 
saks. The king, or head Tyee, is their 
kaderin war, in the management of which 
he is perfectly absolute. He is also presi- 
dent of their councils, which are almost al- 
ways regulated by his opinion. But he has 
no kind of power over the property of his 
subjects, nor can he require them to contri- 
bute to his wants, being in this rcvspect, no 
m.)re privileged than any other person. He 
has in common with his chiefs, the right oi 
holding slaves, which is not enjoyed by pri- 
vate individuals, a regulation probably aris- 
ing from their having been originally captivea 



172 

taken in battle, the spoils of war being uii* 
derstood as appertaining to the king, who 
receives and apportions them among his 
several chiefs and warriors, according to 
their rank and deserts. In conformity with 
this idea, the plunder of the Boston, was all 
deposited in Maquina's house, who distribut- 
ed part of it among his chiefs, according to 
their respective ranks or degree of favour 
with him, giving to one, three hundred mus- 
kets, to another, one hundred and fifty, 
with other things in like proportion. The 
king is, however, obliged to support his dig- 
nity by making frequent entertainments, and 
whenever he receives a large supply of pro- 
visions, he must invite all the men of his 
tribe to his house, to eat it up, otherwise, as 
Maquina told me, he would not be consider- 
ed as conducting like a Tyee, and would be 
Tiomore thought of than a common man. 

With regard to their religion — They be- 
lieve in the existence of a Supreme Being, 
v/hom they call Quahootze, and who, to use 
Maquina's expression, was one great Tyee 
M> the eky, who gave them their fish, and 
€Ould take them from them, and was the 
greatest of all kings. Their usual place of 
wonsliip, appeared to be the water, for when- 
ever they bathed, they addressed some wortis 
in form of prayer to the God above, intreat- 
iiig that he would preserve them in health, 
^ive them good success in fishing, kc. These 



173 

prayers were repeated with much more en~ 
ergy, on preparing for whaling or for war, as 
I have already mentioned. Some of them 
would sometimes go several miles to bathe, 
in order to do it in secret, the reason for this 
I could never learn, though I am induced to 
think it was in consequence of some family 
or private quarrel, and that they did not 
wish what they said to be heard ; while at 
other times, they would repair in the same 
secret manner to the woods, to pray. This 
was more particularly the case with the wo- 
men, who might also, have been prompted 
by a sentiment of decency, to retire for the 
purpose of bathing, as they are remarkably 
modest. I once found one of our women 
more than two miles from the village, on her 
knees in the wood*^, with her eyes shut, and 
her face turned towards heaven, uttering 
words in a lamentable tone, among which I 
distinctly heard, Wocash Ah-wdth, meaning 
good Lord, and which has nearly the same 
signification with Quahootze. Though I 
came very near her, she appeared not to no- 
tice me, but continued her devotions, and I 
have frequently seen the women go alone 
into the woods, evidently for the purpose of 
addressing themselves to a superior being, 
tmd it was always very perceptible on their 
return, when they had thus been employed, 
oni their silence and melancholy 16ok«. 
p2 



174 

They have no belief however, ia a state 
of future existence, as I discovered in con- 
versation with Maquina, at Tootoosch's 
death, on my attempting to convince him, 
that he still existed, and that he would again 
see him after his death : but he could com- 
preh'end nothing of it, and pointing to the 
ground, said that there was the end of him, 
and that he was like that. Nor do they be- 
lieve in ghosts, notwithstanding the case of 
Tootoosch would appear to contradict this 
assertion, but that was a remarkable instance, 
and such a one as had never been known to 
occur before; yet from the mummeries per- 
formed over the sick, it is very apparent that 
they believe in the agency of spirits, as they 
attribute disease to some evil one that has 
entered the body of the patient. Neither 
have they any priests, unless a kind of con- 
juror may be so considered, who sings and 
prays- over the sick, to drive away the evil 
spirit. 

On the birth of twins, they have a most 
singular custom, which, I presume, has its 
ori2:iu in some religious opinion, but what it 
is, I coidd never satisfactorily learn. The 
father is prohibited for the space of two 
years from eating any kind of meat, or fresh 
iish, during which time, he does no kind of 
labour whatever, being supplied with what 
he has occasion for from the tribe. In the 
mean time he and his wife, who is also oblige 



175 

€d to conform to the same abstinence, with 
their children, live entirely separate from 
the others, a small hut being built for their 
accommodation, and he is never invited to 
any of the feasts, except such as consist 
wholly of dried provision, where he is treat- 
ed with great respect, and seated among the 
chiefs, though no more himself, than a pri- 
vate individual. Such births are very rare 
among them, an instance of the kind how- 
ever occurred while I was at Tashees the 
last time, but it was the only one known 
since the reign of the former king. The 
father always appeared very thoughtful and 
gloomy, never associated with the other in- 
habitants, and was at none of the feasts but 
such as were entirely of dried provision, 
and of this, he eat not to excess, and con- 
stantly retired before the amusements com- 
menced. His dress was very plain, and he 
wore around his head the red fillet of bark, 
the symbol of mourning and devotion. It 
was his daily practise to repair to the 
mountain, with a chiefs rattle in his hand,, 
to sing and pray, as Maquina informed me, 
for the fish to come into their waters. When 
not thus employed, he kept continually at 
home, except when sent for to sing and per» 
form his ceremonies over the sick, being 
considered as a sacred character, and one 
much in favour with their gods. 



176 

These people are remarkably healthful, 
and live to a very advanced age, having 
quite a youthful appearance for their years. 
They have scarcely any disease but the 
cholic, their remedy for \yhich, is friction, a 
person rubbing the bowels of the sick vio- 
lently, until the pain has subsided, while 
the conjuror or holy man, is employed, in 
the mean time, in making^ his gestures, sing- 
ing, and repeating certain words, and blow- 
ing off the evil spirit, when the patient is 
wrapped up in a bear skin in order to pro- 
duce perspiration. Their cure for the rheu- 
matism, or similar pains, which I saw appli- 
ed by Maquina, in the case of Thompson, to 
whom it gave relief, is by cutting or scarify- 
ing the part affected. In dressing wounds, 
they simply wash them with salt water, and 
biijd them up with a strip of clothj or the 
bark of a tree. They are, however, very 
expert and successful in the cure of fractur- 
ed or dislocated limbs, reducing them very 
dexterously, and after binding them up with 
bark, supporting thein with blocks of wood, 
so as to preserve their position. During the 
whole time I was amono- them, but live na- 
tural deaths occurred, Tootoosch and his 
two children, an infant son of Maquina, and 
the slave whom 1 have mentioned, a cir<5nm^ 
stance not a little remarkable in a population 
of about fifteen hundred ; and as respects 
:bikl-birth, so light do they make of it. 



177 

that I have seen their women the day after, 
employed as usual, as if little or nothing had 
happened. 

The Nootkians in their conduct towards 
each other, are in general pacific and inof- 
fensive, and appear by no means an ill-tem- 
pered race, for I do not recollect any in- 
stance of a violent quarrel between any of 
the men, or the men and their wives, while 
1 was with them, that of Yealthlower ex- 
cepted. But when they are in the least of- 
fe«ded, they appear to be in the mr)st vio- 
lent rage, acting like so many maniacs, 
foaming at the mouth, kicking and spitting 
most furiously; but this is rallier a fashion 
with them, than a demonstration of maligni- 
ty, as in their public speeches, they use the 
same violence, and he is esteemed the great- 
est orator, who bawls the loudest, stamps, 
tosses himself about, foams and spits the 
most. 

In speaking of their regulations, I have 
omitted mentioning, that on attaining the 
age of seventeen, the eldest son of a chief, 
is considered as a chief himself, and 
that whenever the father makes a pres- 
ent, it is always done in the name of his 
eldest son, or if he has none, in that of 
his daughter. The chiefs, frequently piir- 
ahase their wives at the age of weight or ten, 
to. prevent their being engaged by others. 



178 

though they do not take them from their 
parents until they are sixteen. 

With regard to climate, the greater part 
of the spring, summer, and autumn, is very 
pleasant, the weather being at no time op- 
pressively hot, and the winters uncommonly 
mild, for so high a latitude, at least as far 
as my experience went. At Tashees and 
Cooptee, where we passed the coldest part 
of the season, the winter did not set in till 
late in December, nor have 1 ever knawii 
the ice, even on the fresh water ponds, more 
than two or three inches in thickness, or a 
snow exceeding four inches in depth, but 
what is wanting in snow, is amply made up 
in rain, as I have frequently known it during 
the winter months, rain almost incessantly 
for five or six days in succession. 

It was now past mid-summer, and the 
hopes we had indulged of our release, be- 
came daily more faint, for though we had 
heard of no less than seven vessels on the 
coast, yet none appeared inclined to venture 
to Nootka. The destruction of the Boston, 
the largest, strongest, and best equipped ship, 
with muc^ the most valuable cargo of any 
that had ever been fitted out for the North- 
West trade, had inspired the commanders 
of others with a general dread of coioiliig 
thither, lest they should share the same hie ; 
and though in the letter I wrote (imj Ici^^g 
those who should receive them, to come to 



17^ 

the relief of two unfortunate Christians 
who were suffering among heathen) 1 stated 
the cause of the Boston^ss capture, and that 
there was not the least danger in coming to 
Nootka, provided they would follow the di- 
rections 1 laid down, still 1 felt very little 
encouragement, that any of these letters 
would come to hand, when on the morning 
of the nineteenth of July, a day that will be 
ever held by me in grateful remembrance, of 
the mercies of God, while 1 was employed 
with Thompson in forcing daggers for the 
king, my ears were saluted with the joyful 
sound of three cannon, and the cries of the 
inhabitants, exclaiming, Weena, weena — 
Mamethlee — that is, strangers — white men. 
Soon after several of our people, came 
running into the house, to inform me that a 
vessel under full sail was coming into the 
harbour. Though my heart bounded with 
joj, 1 repressed my feelings, and affecting to 
pay no attention to what was said, told 
Thompson to be on his guard, and not betray 
any joy, as our release, and perhaps om* lives, 
depended on our conducting ourselves so 
as to induce the natives to suppose we were 
not very anxious to leave them. We con- 
tinued our work as if nothing had happened, 
when in a few minutes after, Maquinacame 
in, and seeing us at work, appeared much 
surprised, and asked me if I did not know 
tMi a vessel had come. 1 atiswered in a 



180 

careless manner, that it was nothing to ine. 
How, John, said he, you no glad go board. 
I replied that I cared very little about it, as 
I had become reconciled to their manner of 
livincr, and had no wish to go away. He 
theu told me, that he bad called a council 
of his people respecting us, and that we 
must leave off work and be present at it. 

The men havityg assembled at Maquina^s 
house, he asked them what was their opin- 
ion should be done with Thompson and my- 
self now a vessel had arrived, and whether 
be had not better go onboard himself, to 
make a trade, and procure such articles as 
were wanted. Each one of the tribe who 
wished, gave his opinion. Some v/ere for 
putting us to death, and pretending to 
the strangers, that a different nation had cut 
off the Boston, while others, less barba- 
rous, were for sending us fifteen or twenty 
mileK back into the country until the depart- 
ure of the vessel. These, however, were 
the sentiments of the common people, the 
chiefs opposing our being put to death, or 
injured, and several of them, among the 
most forward of vxhom were Yealthlower 
and the youns chief, Toowinnakinnish, were 
far immediately releasing us ; but this, if he 
could avoid it, by no meahs appeared ^ae- 
cord with Maquina's wishes. ^ " 

Having mentioned Toowinnukinnfeb, I 
sh^ll brieliv obbi^rve,. ths^' be was^a youqg 



181 

irtan of about twenty three jears old, the on- 
ly son of Toopeeshottee, the oldest and most 
respected chief of the tribe. His son had 
always been remarkably kind and friendly 
to me, and I had in return frequently made 
for him daggers, cheetoolths, and other 
things, in my best manner. He was one of 
the handsomest men among them, very ami- 
able, and much milder in his manners than 
any of the others, as well as neater both in 
his person and house, at least his apartment, 
without even excepting Maquina. 

With regard, however, to Maquina's go- 
ing on board the vessel, which hediscovend 
a strong inclination to do, there was but one 
opinion, all remonstrating ajjainst it, tellihg 
him that the captain would kill him or kc-t^p 
him a prisoner, in consequence of his hav- 
ing destroyed our ship. When Maquina 
had heard their opinions, he told them that 
he was not afraid of being hort from goir;*/ 
on board the vessel, but tliat he would, hov.^ 
ever, in that respect, be guided by John, 
whom he had always found true. He then 
turned to me, and asked me if I thouiiht 
there would be any danger in his going in 
board. I answered, that I was wot surpris- 
ed at the advice his people had gixen him, 
Unacquainted as th^y were with the man- 
ners of the white me«, and judgin»- them 
by tl^fir own, but if they had Wu with 
them as much as 1 had, or even liimHrlf, Oux 
Q 



182 

wooJd think very different. That he had 
almost always experienced good and civil 
treatment from them, nor had he any reason 
to jfear the contrary now, as they never at- 
tempted to harm those who did not injure 
them, and if he wished to go on board, he 
mifijht do it, in my opinion, with security.— 
After reflecting a few moments, he said, with 
much apparent satisfaction, that if I would 
write a letter to the captain, telling him good 
of him, that he had treated Thompson and 
myself kindly since we had been with him, 
aid to use him well, he would go. It may 
readily be supposed that I felt much joy at 
this determination, but knowing that the 
least incaution might annihilate all m\ hopes 
of escape, I was careful not to manifest it, 
and to treat his going or slaying as a matter 
perfectly indifferent to me. I told him that 
if he wished me to write such a letter, 1 had 
no objection, as it was the truth, otherwise 
1 could not have done it. 

I then proceeded to write the recommen- 
^,atory letter, which the reader will natural- 
ly imagine was of a somewhat different 
tenor from the one he had required ; for if 
deception is in any case warrantable, it was 
certainly so in a situation like ours, wher^ 
ihe only chance of regaining that freedom 
'y* which we had been so unjustly deprived, 
jpended upon it ; and 1 trust th^iietv, 
en of the 'Tjost rigid, will coildeclia mii 



183 

with severity for makingj use of it, on ati 
occasion which afforded me the only hope 
of ever more beholding a Christian country, 
and preserving myself, if not from death, at 
least from a life of continued suffering. 

The letter which I wrote, was nearly in 
the following terms : — 



To Captain 



of the Brig 



Nootka,July 19, 1805. 
Sir, 
THE bearer of this letter is the Indian king by the 
Mame of Alaquina. He was the iustigatot of the capture 
of the ship Boston, of Boston io North America, John Sal* 
ter captain, and of the murder of tweuty-fire meaof her 
-crew, the two only survivors being now on shore — IfVhere- 
foye I hope you will take caie to confine him according to 
his merits, puttino in your dead lights, and keeping so good 
a watch over him, that he caunot escape from you. By so 
doing we shall be able to obtain our release ia ihecourie 
of a few hours. 

JOHN R. JEWITT, j^rmourer 

of the Boston, for himself and 
John Thompson, Sail'tnaker vf said ship 

I have been asked how I dared to write in 

his manner : my answer is, that from my long 

"sidence among these people, 1 knew that 

had little to apprebi?nd from their anger qu 

ing of their king being contined, while 

knew his life depended upr- "^ ^^ 



184 

lease, and that they would sooner have giveu 
up five hundred white men, than have had 
him injured. This will serve to explain the 
Jitlle apprehension I felt at their menaces af- 
terwards, for otherwise, sweet as^ liberty was 
tome, I should hardly have ventured on so 
hazardous an experiment. 

On my giving the letter to Maquina, he 
asked me to explain it to him. This I did 
line by line, as he pointed them out with his 
linger, but in a sense very different from the 
real, giving him to understand that I had 
written to the captain, that as he had been 
kind to me since I had been taken by him, 
lliat it was r?iy wish that the captain should 
treat him accordingly, and give him what mo- 
lasses, biscuit and rum he wanted. When I 
had finished, placing his fiuger in a signifi- 
cant manner on my name at the bottom, and 
yeing me rnih a look that seemed to read 
ly inmost thoug;hts, he said to me, " John, 
you no lie?" Never did I undergo such a 
scrutiny, or ever experience greater appre- 
S^isions than 1 felt at that moment, when 
iiy destiny was suspended on the slightest 
thread, and the least mark of embarrass- 
ment ott mine, or suspicion of treachery on 
his part, would probably have rendered my 
'ife the sacrifice. Fortunately I was able 
:o preserve my composure, and niy li^ji^^ 
painted in the Indi^'nnianaer, which Maqui- 
na had ^nce my marriage, required <>f ni^; 



185 

prevented any change in my countenance 
from being noticed, and I replied with con- 
siderable promptitude, looking at him in 
my turn, with all the confidence I coidd 
muster, ** Why do you ask me such a ques- 
tionf Tyee ? have you ever known me to 
lie ?" " No." " Then how can you sup^ 
pose I should tell you a lie bow, since I 
have never done it." As I was speaking, 
he still continued looking at me with the 
same piercing eye, but observing nothing to 
excite his suspicion, he told me that he be- 
lieved what 1 said was true, and that he 
would go on board, and gave orders to get 
ready his canoe. His chiefs ag^in attempt- 
ed to dissuade him, using every argument 
for that purpose, while his 'wives crowded 
around him, begging him on their k^ees. 
not to trust himself with the white men 
Fortunately for my companion and my sell, 
so strong was his wish of going on board 
the vessel, that he was deaf to their sol icili: 
tions, and making no other reply to them, 
than, "John no lie," left the house, tak^J'i 
four prime skins with him as a j^resent 
the captain. ^ 

Scarcely had the canoe put off, ^Tien he 

rdered his men to stop, and callii];g to me, 
u^ked me if I did not want to go. on board 
v.:i^ him. Suspecting thi^as a questioti! 

Kfr^^ly intended to ensnare m^ J repiietl 



186 

that I had no wish to do it, not having any 
desire to leave them. 

On going on board the brig, Maquina im- 
mediately gave his present of skins and my 
letter to the captain, who on reading it, ask- 
ed him into the cabin, where he gave him 
some biscuit and a glass of rum, at the same 
time, privately directing his mate to go for- 
ward, and return with five or six of the men 
armed. When they appeared, the captain 
told Maquina that he was his prisoner, and 
should continue so, until the two men, 
whom he knew to be on shore, were releas- 
ed, at the same time ordering him to be put 
m irons, and the windows secured, which 
was instantly done, and a couple of men 
placed as a guard over him. Maquina was 
fi^.3tly surprised and terrified at this recepr 
iion ; he however, made no attempt to resist, 
hat requested the captain to permit one of 

IS men to come and see him. One of them 

.3 accordingly called, and Maquina said 

something t^ him which the captain did not 

rinderstand, but supposed to bean order to 

T^ease us, when the man returning to the 

inX<^, it was paddled off with the utmost 
lexpcdviion to^tiie shore. A'^i the canoe ap- 
proachfc\:l, the inhabitants, who had all col- 
lected u|\>on the beach, manifested some 11% 
^asiuesif ,t not seeing their king on ba^rd:, 
butwheri^n its arrival, they wei^ told that 
the captain had made him a prisoner.^ ^*^^ 



187 

ihat John had spoke bad about him in 1$f 
letter, they all both men and women, set up 
a loud howl, and ran backwards and for- 
wards upon the shore like so many lunatics, 
scratching their faces, and tearing the hair 
in handfuls from their heads. 

After they had beat about in this mannev 
for some time, the men ran to their huts for 
their weapons, as if preparing to attack an 
invading enemy ; while Maquina's wives 
and the rest of the women, came around 
me, and throwing themselves on their knees, 
begged me with tears to spare his life, and 
Sat-sat-jjsak-sis, who kept constantly with 
me, taking me by the hand, wept bitterly, 
and joined his entreaties to theirs, that I 
would not let the white men kill his father. 
I told them not to afflict themselves, that 
Maquina's life was in no ganger, nor wouhl 
the least harm be done to him. 

The men w^ere however, extremely e:\asr 
perated with me, more particularly the com- 
mon people, who came running in the most 
furious manner towards me, brandishing 
iheir weapons, and threatening to cut n^e in 
pieces no bigger than their thumb nails, 
while others declared they would burii me 
alive over a slow fire, suspended by my 
heels. All this fury, however, eaysed u^e 
but little alarm, as I felt convinced they 
•vould not dare to execute tiieir llnea^^ 
wdiile th^ king \yas on bdard 



188 

chiefs took no part in this violent conduct, 
but came to me, and enquired the reason why 
Maquina had been thus treated, and if the 
capt tin intended to kill him. I told them 
that if they would silence the people, so 
that I could be heard, I would explain all 
to them. They immediately put a stop to 
the noise, when I informed them that the 
captain in confining Maquina, had done it of 
his own accord, and only in order to make 
them release Thompson and myself, as he 
well knew we were with them, and if they 
would do that, their king would receive no 
aijury, but be well treated, otherwise he 
would be kept a prisoner. As many of them 
did not appear to be satisfied with this, and 
began t€> repeat their murderous threats — 
fvill me, said I to them, if it is your wish, 
throwing open the bear skin which I wore, 
here is ray breast, I am only one among so 
many, ^nd can make no resistance, but unless 
vo', wish to see your king hanging by his 

ok to tliatpole, pointing to the yard arm 
of the brig, aod the sailors firing at him with 
bullets, you will not do it. O no, was thegen- 
fcrdi cry, that must never be; hut what must 
w^e do ? 1 told them that their best plan 
vould be, to send Thompson on board, to df^- 
the captain to use Maquina well tpll I 

iS released, which would be boori. ^^i^.s 

■.cv V ere perfectly willing to do, ami I (;n 

Thompsw to go on board. JBdt hE 



189 

objected, saying that he would not leave me 
alone with the savaojes. I told him not to 
be under any fear for me, for that if I could 
get him off, I could manage well enough for 
myself, and that I wished him immediately 
on getting on board the brig, to see the cap- 
tain and request him to keep Maquina close 
till I was released, as I was in no danger 
while he had him safe. 

When I saw Thompsoa off, ,1 asked the 
natives what they intended to do with me. 
They §aid I must talk to the captain again, 
in another letter, and tell him to let his boat 
come on shore with Maquina, and that I 
should be ready to jump into the boat at the 
same time Maquina should jump on shore. 
I told them that the captain, who knew that 
they had killed my shipmates, would never 
trust his men so near the shore for t^ar they 
would kill them too, as they were so much 
more numerotjii^, but that if they would «^- 
lect any three of their number to go with 
me in a canoe, when we came within hail, I 
could debire the capfein to send his boat 
with Maquina, to receive me in exchange 
for him. 

This appealed to please them, and after 
some whispering among the chiefs, who 
from what words 1 overheard, conduded 
that, if the captain should refuse to s^nd 
his boat with Maquina, the three men would 
ha^^ jio difficulty in bringing me wfck with 



190 

them, they agreed to my proposal, and se- 
lected three of their stoutest men to convey 
me. Fortunately having been for some time 
accustomed to see me armed, and suspect- 
ing no design on my part, they paid no at- 
tention to the pistols that I had about me. 

As I vi^as going into the canoe, little Sat- 
sat-sak-sis, who could not hear to part with 
me, asked me, with an affecting simplicity, 
since I was going away to leave him, if the 
white men would not let his father come oa 
ghore, and not kill him. I told him not to 
be concerned, for that no one shoidd injure 
bin father, when taking an affectionate leave 
of me, and again begging me not to let the 
v;hite men hurt his father, he ran to comfort 
his mother, who was at a little distance, 

vith ti}e assurances I had given him. 
Orr eatering the canoe, I seated myself in 

Imjirow (Rcing the three men, having de- 

^^i^i^t hied if it was practicable, from the mo* 

meirl 1 found Maquina was secured, to get 

fj board the vesjsei before he was released, 
loping by that means', to be enabled to ob- 
:lain the restoration of what property be- 
lo!igijig to the Boston, still remained in the 
|>0ssession of the savages, which 1 thought^ 
4^ ii could be done, a duty that I owed to 

be owners. With feelings of joy impfiO"^?i. 

>le to t^e described, did I quit this vS^v. « 

bort^ co|(ildent now that nothing co^;^ 
thv^jtm^'e^icape," or prevopt tli^ e^cptioii 



191 

of the plan I had formed, as the men ap- 
pointed to convey and guard me, were arm- 
ed with nothing but their paddles. As we 
came within hail of the brig, they at once 
ceased paddling, when presenting my pis- 
tols at them, I ordered them instantly to go 
on, or 1 would shoot the whole of them. 
A proceeding so wholly unexpected, threw 
them into great consternation, and resuming 
their paddles, in a few moments, to my inex- 
pressible delight, I once more found myself 
along side of a Christian ship, a happiness 
which I had almost despaired of ever again 
enjoying. All the crew csowded to the side 
to see me as the canoe came up, and mani- 
fested much joy at my safety. I immediate- 
ly leaped on board, where I was welcomed 
by the captain, Samuel Hill, of the -^^^ 
Lydia of Boston, who congratulated nie on 
my escape, informing me that lie Imd re- 
ceived my letter off Kla-iz-zart, from the 
chief Mackee Ulatilla, who came off himself 
in his canoe, to deliver i| to him, on which he 
immediately proceed ecihither to aid me. I 
returned him my thanks in the best manner 
I could for his humanity, though 1 hardly 
knew what 1 said, such was the agitated 
state of my feelings at that moment, with 
joy for my escape, thankfulness to the Su- 
preme Being who had so mercifully pre- 
served me, and gratitude to those whom he 
ha^ Tendered instrumental in my delivery, 



102 

that I have no doubt, that what with my 
stranj^e dress, being painted with red and 
black from head to foot, having a bear skin 
wrapped around me, and my long hair, 
which I was not allowed to cut, fastened on 
the top of my head in a large bunch, with a 
sprig of* green spruce, I must have appeared 
more like one deran2:ed than a rational crea- 
ture, as captain Hill afterwards told me, 

>^iat he never saw any thing in the form of 
man, look so wild as 1 did when J first came 
onboard. 

The captain then asked nie into the cab- 
in, -where I found Maquina in irons, with a 
guard over him. He looked very melancho- 
ly, but on seeing me his countenance bright- 
ened up, and he expressed his pleasure with 

: t;4*e welcome of " Wocash John ;" when 
taking him by the hand, I asked the captain's 
j)ermisfeion to take ofl his irons, assuring him 
tJMit as I was with him, there was no danger 
of his being in the least troublesome. He 
ciceordingly consentj^, and I felt a sincere 
pleasure in freeing frofn fetters, a man, who, 
though lie had caused the death of my poor 
coiBiades, had nevertheless, always proved 
my friend and protector, arid whom I had 
requested to be thus treated, only with a 
view of securing my liberty. MEtq^ina 
smik^d a r. a appeared much pleased aM his 
mark -of .apoiitioii from me. When I baq 
fr-eed tl^lSing from hisironj^, capt^ BHi 



1 93 

^vished to learn the particulars of our cap- 
ture, observing that an account of the de- 
struction of the ship and her crew had beeu 
received at Boston before he sailed, but that 
nothing more was known, except that two 
of the men were living, for whose rescue 
the owners had offered a liberal reward, and 
that he had been able to get nothing out of 
the old man, whom the sailors had supplied 
jso plentifitlly with grog, as to bring him too 
much by the head to give any information. 

I gave him a correct statement of the 
whole proceeding, together with the manner 
in which my life and that of my comrade 
had been preserved. On hearing my story, 
he was greatly irritated against Maquina, 
and said he ou^ht to be killed. I obser^e^i 
that however ill he might have acted in 
taking our ship, yet that'it would, perhaps, 
be wrong to judge an UQinfonned ,sav-agt\ 
with the same severity as a civilised pt^rson, 
who had the light of reVigwu and the luv\>^ 
of society to guide hinf>. That Maquiua's 
conduct in taking our ship, arose, frou) aii 
insult that he thought he had received from 
captain Salter, and from the uinuk^fiabi- 
conduct of some masters of vessels, who had 
robbed him, and wilhout i;roM>cation, killed 
ii, number of his people. i:esides that, a re- 
gard ^ for the safety of otliers o\is:ht to pn> 
yent his being put to death, as 1 had liied 
imq enough with iUmQ people to k4|o# t?-f ?; 



194 

revenue ot an injury, is held sacred by them, 
and that thej would not fail to retaliate, 
should he kill their kin^, on the first vessel 
or boat's crew that should give them an op- 
portunity ; and that, though he migjht consider 
er executing him as but an act of justice, it 
would probably cost the lives of many Amer- 
icans. 

The captain appeared to be convinced 
from what I said, of the impolicy of taking 
Maquina's life, and said that he would leave 
it wholiy with me whether to spare or kill 
hiui, as he was resolved to incur no censure 
in either case. I replied that 1 most certain- 
ly should never take the life of a man who 
had preserved mine, had I no other reason, 
but as there was some of the Boston's prop- 
erty still remaining on shore, I considered it 
I duty that I owed to those who wereinter- 
esied in that ship, to try to save it for them, 
and with. that view I thought it would be 
»v8ll to keep him on board till it was given 
lip. He concurred' in this proposal, saying 
U" there was any of the property left, it most 

rtamly onght to be got. 

Buriiig this conversation Maquina was 
in great anxiety, as from what English he 
knew he perfectly c omprehended the sub- 
ject of our deliberation ; constantly iiiteT" 
ruptiijg me to enquire what we had .detieir- 
mined to fio with him, what the captain said, 
if his life would be spared, and if 1 du^ not 
think that Thompson would kill him. ^ J 



195 

pacified him as well as I was able, by telling 
him that he had nothing to fear from the 
captain, that he wouhi not be hurt, and that 
if Thompson wi^ed totill him which was 
veny grobable, he^^nDiiW natT3e allowed to 
do it. lie would then remind me that I wa& 
f^debted to him for my life, and that I ought 
to do by hnn, as he had done by me. I as- 
sured him €hat such was my intention, and I 
requesteti him to remain quiet, and not alarm 
himself, as no harm was intended him. But 
I fbimd it extremely difficult to convince 
him of this, as it accorded so little with the 
ideas of revenge entertained by them. I told 
him however, that he must restore all the 
property still in his possession, belonging to 
the ship. This he was perfectly reaily to. do, 
happy to escape on "such terms. But ias it 
was now past fi\ey and too late for the arti- 
cles to be collected, and brought off, I told 
him that he must content himself to remain 
on board with me that nigjft, and in the 
morning he should be set oil shore as so6a 
as the things were delivered, ^o tliis he 
agreed, on condition that I would remain 
^vith him in the cabin. A then went npotj 
deck, and the canoe that brought me having; 
been sent back, I hailed the inhabitants, and 
told them that their king had agreed to «tay 
utt board till the next day, when he - -^-^ re- 
*^rn, bat that no canoe^; must at U' 

»H>e near the vessel during the aig 



196 

they would be fired npon. They answered, 
Woho, woho — very well, very well. I thea 
returned to Maquina, but so great were his 
terrors, that he would not allow me to sleep, 
constantly disturbing me with his questions, 
and repeating, " John, you know wjien you 
was alone, and more than five hundred men 
were your enemies, I was your friend, and 
prevented them from putting you ajad 
Thompson to death, and now I am in- the 
power of your friends, you ought to do the 
same by me." I assured him that he would 
be detained on board' no longer than the 
property was released, and that as soon as it 
was done, he wouhl be set at liberty. 

At day break I hailed tiie natives, and 
old them that it was Maquina's order that 
Jiey should bring off the cannon, and an- 
chors, and whatever remained with them of 
the cargo of the ship. This they set about 
iomg with the utmost expedition, transport- 
ing the cannon arid anchors by lashing to- 
gether two of their largest canoes, and cov- 
.5ring them with planks, and in the course 
of two hours, they delivered every thing on 
hoard that I could recollect, with Thomp- 
• on's and my chest, containing the papers of 
fhe ship, &c. 

When every thing belonging to th^ ^hip 
had been restored, Maquina was peruxit4<^(i 
to return in his canoe, which had beerr ■ 
for him, with a present of what skinihe b^^a 



197 

collected, which were about sixty, ibr the 
captain in acknowledgment of his having 
spared his life and allowed him to depart un- 
hurt ; such was also, the transport he felt 
when captain Hill came into the cabin, and 
told him that he was at liberty to go, that 
he threw off his mantle, which cGjn.^isted of 
four of the very best skins, add g^i-ve it 
to him, as a mark of his gratitude, in re- 
turn for which, the captain presented him 
with a new great coat ^nd hat, witli which he 
appeared much delighted. The captain 
then desired me to inform him that he shoafd 
return to that part of the coast in Novem- 
ber, and that he wished him to keep what 
skins he should get, which he would buy of 
him. This Maquina promised, saying to me 
at the same time, ' John, you know I shall 
be then atTashees, but when yoli come make 
pow, which means, fire a gun to let me know, 
and I will come down." When Invcauie to 
\\\Q side of the brig, he i^hook me cordially 
-by the hand, and told me that he hoped I 
would come to see him again in a big ship, 
and bring much plenty of blaukAHs, biscuit, 
molasses and rum, for him and \-M son who 
loved me a great deal, and that he wouhi 
keep all the furs he got iorme, observino^rni 
the same time, that he should never Hi^/rc 
take a letter of recommendation from any 
ne, or ever trust himself on botird i> ves>e^ 
niless I was there. Then gm;>{;iM" «> -1^ nrr 
,aads, with m^ich emotioi), wn]!- ar^^ 

TJ "> 



196 

trickled down his cheeks, he bade me fare- 
well, and stept into the canoe, which imme- 
diately paddied him on shore. 

Notwithstanding my joy at my deliver- 
ance, and the pleasing anticipation I felt of 
once more beholding a civilized country, and 
3^ain being permitted to offer up my devo- 
tions in a Christian church, I could not 
avoid experiencing a painful sensation on 
parting with this savage chief, who had pre- 
served my life, and in general treated me 
with kindness, and considering their ideas 
and manners, much better than could have 
been expected. 

My pleasure was also greatly damped by 
an unfortunate accident that occurred to 
Toowinnakinnish. That interesting young 
chief had come on board in the first canoe 
m the morning, . anxious to see and comfort 
bis^ king. He was received with much kind- 
ness by captain Hill, from the favourable ac- 
count I gave of him, and invited to remain 
on board. As the muskets were delivered, 
he was in the cabin with Maquina, where was 
also the captain, who on receiving them,, 
snapped a number in order to try the locks ; 
unluckily one of them happened to be load- 
ed with swan shot, and goin^^ off, discharg- 
ed its contents into the body of poor Too 
winnakinnish, who was sitting opposite. C^k- 
liearin:^ the report, 1 instantly ran ij^to the 
cabin, where I found him weltering in his 
¥U>od, mth the captain who was gresttJ^^ 



199 

shocked at the accident, endeavouring to as- 
sist him. We raised him up, and did every 
thing in our power to aid and comfort him, 
telling him that we felt much grieved at his 
misfortune, and that it was wholly uninten- 
tional, this he told me he was perfectly satis- 
fied of, and while we dressed and bound up 
his wounds in the best manner we could, he 
bore the pain with great calmness, and bid- 
ding me farewell, was put on board one of 
the canoes, and taken on shore, where after 
languishing a few days, he expired. To me, 
his misfortune was a source of much afflic- 
tion, as he had no share in the massacre of 
our crew, was of a most amiable character, 
and had always treated me with the greatest 
kindness and hospitality. 

The Brig being under weigh, immediately 
on Maquina's quitting us, we proceeded to 
the north v^ard, constantly keeping the shore 
in sight, and touching at various places for 
the purpose of trading. 

Having alrtady exceeded the bounds I 
had prescribed myself, 1 shall not attempt 
any account of our voyage upon the coast, 
or a description of the various nations we 
met with in the course of it, among whou» 
were a people of a very singular appearance, 
called by the sailors the Wooden lips. Tbey 
have luany skins, and the trade is printifir^f- 
ly managed by their women, who are not oh- 
- ly expert in making a bargain, but are as 
dextefous in the management of their ca- 
noes, as the men are elsewhere. 



2qQ 

After a'perjod of nearly four mon this from 
our leaving Nootka, we returned from the 
northward to Columbia river, for the pur- 
pose of procuring masts, &c. for our brig, 
which had suffered considerably in her spars 
during a gale of wind. We proceeded about 
ten miles up the river, to a small Indian vil- 
lage, where we heard from the inhabitants, 
that Captains Clark and Lewis, from the Unit- 
ed States of America, had been there about 
a fortnight before, on their journy over-land, 
and had left several medals with them, which 
they shewed us. The river at this place, is 
of considerable breadth, and both sides of it 
from its entrance, covered with forests of 
the very finest pine timber, fir and spruce, 
interspersed with Indian settlements. Here 
after providing ourselves with spars, we sail- 
i?d for Nootka, where we arrived in the latter 
part of November. The tribe being absent, 
t]>e agreed signal was given, by ^vmg a can- 
iion, and in a few hours after a canoe appear- 
ed, which landed at the village, and putting 
ike king on shore, came off to the brig. — 
Enquiry was immediately made by Kinne- 
cluiimits, who was one of the three men in 
zhe canoe, if John was there, as the king had 
ne skins to sell them if he was. I then 
eat forward and invited them on boarr), 
viith which they readily complied, te}iij>g 
ine that Maquina had a number of X&idk 
Willi jjitiiy but that he would not come on 
bcEvd in>less I ^vo^ic] «?-o on i^horc for hm 



201 

This I agreed to provided they would re- 
main in the brig in the mean time. To this 
they consented, and the captain taking them 
into the cabin, treated them with bread and 
molasses. I then went on shore in the canoe, 
notwithstanding the remonstrances of Thomp- 
son and the captain, who, though he wanted 
the skins, advised me by no means to put my- 
self in Maquina's power ; but I assured him 
that I had no fear as long as those men were 
on board. As I landed Maquina came up 
and welcomed me with much joy : on enqui- 
ring for the men, I told him that they were 
to remain till my return. " Ah John,"* said 
he, " I see you are afraid to trust me, but if 
they had come with you, I should not have 
hurt you, though I should have taken good 
care not to let you go on board of another 
vessel." . He then took his chest of skins, 
and stepping into the canoe, I paddled him 
along-side the brig, where he was received 
and treated by Capt. Hill with the greatest 
cordiality, who bought of him his skins. 
He left us much pleased with his reception, 
enquiring of me how many moons it would 
be before I should come back again to see 
him and his son, who had begged him^ard to 
let him come with him to see me: saying, that 
he would keep all his furs for me, and that as 
soon as my son,^ who was then about five 
months old, was of a suitable age to take 
from his mother, he would send for him, and 
take care of him as his own. 



As soon as Maquina had quitted us, we 
got under weigh, and stood again to the 
northward. We continued on the coast un- 
till the eleventh of August,! J 806, when having 
completed our trade, we sailed for China, 
to the great joy of all our crew, and particu- 
larly so to rue. With a degree of satisfac- 
tion that I can ill express, did 1 quit a coast 
tovvhich I was resolved nothing should again 
tempt me to return, and as the tops of the 
mountains sunk in the blue waves of ocean^ 
I seemed to feel my heart lightened of an 
oppressive load. 

We had a prosperous passage to China, 
arriving at Macao in December, from 
whence the brig proceeded to Canton. There 
1 had the good fortune to meet a townsman 
:Vid Rii ocd acquaintance, in the mate of an 
^n* 1 Easllndiaman, named John Hill, 
- lu}»Q jitther a wealthy merchant in Hull, in 

v Baltic trade, was a next door neighbour 
Shortly after our arrival, the cap- 

n ^it-iiigon board of the English ship, and 
mentioning his having had the good fortune 
to liberate two men of the Boston's crew 
from tl>« savages, and that one of them was 
fciamed Jewitt, my former acquaintance imme- 
diate)-/ Clime on board the brig to see me. 

Words can ill express njy feelings on see- 

2; bim. Circumstanced as I was, ame=Ji>jy 
persons who were entire strangers to ith 
to meet thus in a foreign liand, with one be : 
tvveeu v»hom and myself, a considerable in 



tiraacy had subsisted, wa^ a pleasure that 
those alone who have been in a Hisu^lHr situ- 
ation can properly estimate. He appeared 
on his part, no less happy to see me, whom 
he supposed to be dead, as the account of 
our capture had been received in England 
some time before his sailing, and all my 
friends supposed me to have been murder- 
ed. From this young man, I received every 
attention and aid, that a feeling heart, inter- 
ested in the fate of another, couJd confer. 
He supplied me with a new suit of clothes, 
and a hat, a small sum of money for my ne- 
cessary expences, and a number of little ar- 
ticles for sea stores on my voyage to Ameri 
ca. I also gave him a letter for my father, 
in which I mentioned my wonderful preser- 
vation, and escape, through the humanity of 
captain Hill, with whom I should return to 
Boston. This letter he enclosed to his fath- 
er, by a ship that was just sailing, in conse- 
quence of which it was received much ear 
Her than it otherwise would have been. 

We left China in February, 1807, and af 
ter a pleasant voyage of one hundred and 
fourteen days, arrived ai Boston. My feel- 
ings on once more finding myself in a Chv'< 
tian country, among a people speaking ihe 
same language with myself, may be more rea- 
dily conceived than expressed, li. tfie Post- 
Office in that place, 1 found a letter fer me 
froili my mother, acknowledging the receipt 
of ^nmefrora China, expressing the great joy 



404 

of my family on bearing of my being alive 
and well, whom they had for a long time giv- 
en up for dead, and requesting me to write 
to them on receiving; her letter, which I ac- 
cordingly did. - Vi^hile in Boston, 1 was 
treated with much kindness and hospitality 
by the owners of the shi]^ Boston, Messrs. 
Francis and Thomas Amovy of that place, 
to whom I feel myself under great obliga- 
tions for their goodness to me, and the assis- 
tance which they so readily afforded a stran- 
ger in distress. 



WAR-SONG OF THE NOOTKA TRIBE. 

Commencing' ivith a chorus repeated at the end of each line 
Hah-^ee liali yav hnr, he yar hah. 
Te yil» ee yali har — ee yie huh. 
Ivi yar ee yar hah — ee yar hah. 
■ ;; yar ee I yar yar hah — le yar «e yee yah i 

l-ve ma hi-chill at-sish Kla-ha — Ha-ye-hah. 
Qi e nok ar pa'ts arsh wavv — le yie-yar. 
Waw-iioo iiHks sar hasch — Yar-Iiah. I-yar hee l-yar. 
Waw hoo naks ar hascii yak-queets sish ni-ese, 
W. 'v har. Hie yee ah-hah. 
3,^epeaicu over and over with gestures and brandishing of 
■-vt ip^ns. 

NOTE. 

Itvee-ma hi-cMU, signifies, Ye do not know. It appears to 
he ;- -'^t^ic. 5 mcile of expression, the con\mon one for you do 
not kriow, hfing, iVih-kum-ut/sh ,• fronr^ tliis, it would seem 
.■.;iit they h;<ve two iang-uai^es, one for tlicir songs vud another 
forcomm'n u^.c. The general nicaning of this fir^taon,^ ap- 
pf.ars to be, Ye little know ye men of Khilur, what vaJia--;' 
wa.i".' - »ve are. f^oorly can our foe^. contend witli a-i, w^ic 
we cw/ic v/Jth our daggers, &:c. 

The Noo*k:ans Ivave no songs of a historical /letc: ft. ■ 
.they a^^p*="ir to have any tradition respecting their onjil*; 

.End of the Second^ EddiotK 



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